Black Cat 2: Bad Luck
by Alex McM
Summary: Sequel to New Bounty. Aizen has captured Eve and Rukia and with the Hogyoku in his grasp both worlds are in grave danger. On the brink of war, Chronos is mobilizing but a small band of heroes enter enemy ground to break out their friends and defeat Aizen.
1. Previously

**Black Cat 2**

Well, it wasn't a long wait but here it is, the sequel to Black Cat: New Bounty. This story does get a little darker, so you've been warned. Below is a summary of the first story, just to jog your memory in case you forgot something. If you haven't read the first one, I highly advise you do, but this summary should put you up to speed if you're in a hurry.

**Previously...**

Sven and Eve are evicted from their home and desperately seek any form of payment. Their hope lies in an unusually large bounty for a young girl named Rukia Kuchiki. To find her the gang moves to Karakura and shortly upon arrival Rukia is found. Eve befriends the wanted criminal and Sven's loyalties waver. He grapples with the decision of handing Rukia in to the authorities or protecting Eve's new friend. Sven takes Rukia to be arrested but has a change of heart just at the last moment and breaks her out of the Chronos headquarters.

Chronos, understaffed after the recent rebellion of the Zero numbers seeks the aid of another force known as the Gotei 13. Both organisations have different motives for their alliance and soon the seeds of doubt are sown when the sinister motives of the Gotei 13 is uncovered. They put the bounty on Rukia's head so that they could extract the Hogyoku (A device that can bridge the gap between Shinigami and hollow, ultimately creating the perfect warrior.)

The Hogyoku was the item the traitorous Sosuke Aizen was after a decade ago when he revolted against Soul Society and tried to steal it. Fortunately, the combined force of the Gotei 13 sent him running, empty handed and bitter. He vowed to return when they were at their weakest and take the Hogyoku right from under their noses. With it he could destroy the world and reign supreme from atop the heavens. Aizen went into hiding and the threat was overlooked in order to focus on capturing Rukia.

Meanwhile, a former shinigami named Gaichu learns of a young girl who possesses the ability to shape shift due to her body coursing with nanomachines, tiny machines that interact with living tissue. This young girl is Eve, the genetically bio-engineered super-weapon.

Sven is injured while saving Rukia and further wounded when Rukia demonstrates her shinigami powers. The two head to a hospital and Eve is brought along to visit her guardian. While there Gaichu makes his move and abducts Eve, holding her within a mountain-side castle. Disregarding his injuries, Sven sets off to find her.

He arrives at the castle, only to be stopped by one of Gaichu's henchmen who defeats the wounded sweeper with ease. Just when his hopes are about to vanish, a saviour arrives with orange hair. Ichigo dispatches the guard and heads into the castle alone. Rukia arrives soon after to heal Sven and bring him back to the hospital.

As Ichigo searches the seemingly abandoned castle he is ambushed by another of Gaichu's subordinates. Ignoring the injury he heads deeper into the castle until he finds Eve, held hostage by the cruel Doctor. Ichigo's confidence falters when the Doctor unleashes his warp world technique, but he overpowers the psychotic surgeon and leaves him maimed and beaten. Ichigo takes Eve and makes the long trek through the forest back home.

Ichigo and Eve don't return for a whole week and Sven fears the worst. He takes off in search of them but eventually collapses by the side of a road where an old friend picks him up.

Rukia, now alone resides within the Kurosaki residence waiting for anyone to return. Instead, she receives a visit from Renji and her older brother Byakuya. The two shinigami try to capture her but she is saved just in time by a mysterious stranger with cat-like eyes. Train fights Renji and forces them into a retreat. When Rukia asks why he saved her he tells her he was sent here to find her.

Train takes her to Orihime's apartment where Sven, Eve and Ichigo are all getting healed. Rukia is told that Train had found Eve and Ichigo and searched for a hospital but along the way he spotted Inoue aiding Sven and decided to see her.

Train and Rukia get to know each other a bit while they wait. The next morning two intruders enter the building. Rukia fears they are dangerous but just before a fight breaks out Train recognises them. It's Charden and Kyoko. The two explain they had travelled for a long time, searching for him. Train warns that now is now a safe time just as Soi Fon arrives to challenge Train to a duel. Assassin vs. assassin.

Train is slowly overpowered by Soi Fon's astonishing speed and strength. She stabs him with Suzemabachi and prepares for the second strike when Kyoko defends her beloved Mr Black. Charden and Kyoko then face off against her but as they gain momentum reinforcements arrive in the form of tenth squad captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. He surprises them and cuts Kyoko down with only one hit.

Rukia enters the fray to save her fallen allies and a fierce battle ensues. While the two duel Orihime heals Train hoping to get him up and fighting again before Rukia is subdued. Toshiro finds out about the plan and attempts to kill Orihime before she can heal the Black Cat. Just as he prepares to attack her, Train shoots him point blank. Defeated, Toshiro and Soi Fon retreat leaving the others save for another day.

Meanwhile, the Doctor returns to Gaichu, missing both legs and near death. He pleads for forgiveness but Gaichu murders him. His henchmen are concerned that he was the only doctor who specialised in nanomachines but Gaichu reassures them he knows someone else.

Dr Tearju is approached by Gaichu and threatened into helping them implant the nanomachines into hollows, thus creating an unstoppable monster. Reluctantly she accepts and the work begins.

Within the Chronos headquarters, Sephiria Arks, the leader of Chronos, learns of the Gotei 13's sinister plans and confronts the captain commander. She argues that it is wrong to execute the Kuchiki girl for nothing more than having the Hogyoku inside of her. She incites the numbers to revolt and fight against the shinigami. Yammamoto is enraged by the insurrection and attacks her. While the captains all fight each other the captain commander unleashes Ryujin Jakka upon his opponent, destroying the headquarters and reducing the whole area to rubble.

One of the numbers recruits the sweeper alliance to help with the rebellion but is turned down by the angry sweepers who had been detained ever since they were recruited.

When Rukia's friends are fully healed they devise a plan to stop Soul Society coming after them. They decide to strike their headquarters while they are in turmoil. Train, Sven, Ichigo, Eve and Rukia head off, leaving Orihime behind because she is deemed to fragile for the battlefield.

When everyone arrives, Gaichu takes advantage of the distraction and releases his prototype hollow upon them. First in its sights is the sweeper alliance whose multitude of weapons inspires the creature to experiment with its shape shifting abilities. After slaughtering a large number of them Train and Ichigo intervene and team up to try and defeat it. Their efforts seem to be in vain and they withdraw while Byakuya takes his turn to fight it. He too is unable to defeat the monster, but it is then that Byakuya states the only thing that can slay a monster is another monster.

Zaraki Kenpachi faces off against the shape shifting hollow and after dealing some devastating attacks the tide suddenly turns and the overconfident Kenpachi is beaten. When he finally falls Ichigo uses his vizard powers against the hollow. At first it seems like he has won, but the hollow manages to piece his mutilated body back together again and is about to slay his opponent when Rukia freezes him. She tries to kill the monster but she too is defeated. When she is about to be killed Eve rescues her and the hollow faces off against yet another foe. She is forced to pull back.

Sven devises a plan in which he distracts the hollow until Eve can ambush him and drain the nanomachines from its body. Sven uses his various skills and weapons to cause a distraction but he is hit by the hollow. Just as the hollow prepares to slice him apart with his claws, Eve takes the hit, managing to get close enough to drain the nanomachines, successfully killing the hollow.

With him down Gaichu sends one of his minions down. Tenshi, a dual sword wielding woman squares off against Train and Ichigo who use simultaneous attacks to try and wear her down. She uses her amazing skills and honed reflexes to defend against them and uses a cleverly timed Flash step to trick Train into shooting Ichigo with a burst bullet. Tenshi then impales Ichigo on her swords and renders him unable to fight anymore.

Gaichu duels Byakuya and reveals his Shikai and uses it to beat him despite suffering terrible injuries from Byakuya's Bankai.

Meanwhile Tenshi faces Rukia and Train who try to overpower her. They wound her but she gains the upper hand and is about to deal a fatal blow when Gaichu stops her and stresses that she cannot be killed. Tenshi agrees reluctantly and continues her battle with Rukia. Even after losing an arm Tenshi fights on equal par with Rukia until she is knocked down. As Rukia raises her sword to her fallen prey she finds herself unable to kill her opponent.

Gaichu's other henchman arrives and knocks Rukia aside. The three villains regroup and prepare to extract the Hogyoku. Rukia is captured and the item is removed. Tenshi is about to kill the now useless girl but Train fires a freeze bullet which paralyses her while she painfully bleeds to death.

Train then fights Akuma but soon struggles against his literally earth-shattering power. Sven interrupts and uses the machine gun inside his suitcase. He riddles Akuma's back full of holes but it seems to have no affect so he draws his pistol and shoots empties the clips into his face, taking out his eyes and blinding him.

Train entwines some of Eve's hair around a bullet and then returns to help Sven who is getting strangled by the enraged villain. Train fires the bullet but it bounces off Akuma's thick skin. Determined, Train catches the bullet and drives it through one of Akuma's open wounds, placing it within his body. While Akuma fights back Eve forces the strands of hair to morph into blades which shred Akuma's insides and kill him.

With Tran and Sven too injured to fight on and everyone else either dead or incapacitated, Rukia took to the battlefield alone to compete against Gaichu. After a fierce battle Rukia is slowly brought to despair due to Gaichu's overwhelming power. He impales her on his sword and is about to finish her off when Rukia laughs. She tells him that she is finally close enough and fires off a high level kido which brings both fighters to the brink of death.

Rukia is revived by her friends and they notice a barely mobile Gaichu approaching them. Train begs him to give up but he refuses to stop until either his dreams come true or he dies. An unexpected guest does the latter and slices Gaichu in half before stealing the Hogyoku. The guest is none other than Sosuke Aizen!

Aizen thanks Rukia for giving the Hogyoku and takes her and Eve back to Hueco Mundo.

Ichigo and Sven express their anger at having failed to protect the ones they and seek support from train who appears to have disappeared once again. Sephiria comforts them and informs them that Soul Society is mobilizing its forces and when the time is right they will all invade Hueco Mundo and rescue the two hostages as well as defeating Aizen once and for all.

Sven is rewarded for his efforts with a new house as well as the promised bounty for Rukia Kuchiki. He tells Sephiria to think of it as payment in advance because he will bring Rukia back no matter what. Inspired by his words Ichigo vows to fight alongside him and that together they will beat Aizen and rescue their loved ones.

A month later Sven is sitting in a cafe. He notices schoolchildren walking to school and they remind him of Eve. He lights up a cigarette and is scolded by a waitress whom he recognises as the one who serves him in every cafe he ever visits. He pays his bill and slips a bill into her pants pocket. She is about to slap him but with his newly trained reflexes he blocks it and warns her to leave town. He lies to her, saying that a criminal organization is going to bomb the town. He leaves abruptly and when prompted as to what he would do, Sven replies:

"I've got a bounty to collect!"

And thus, the story begins...


	2. Sweeper

100 reviews! The first part has recieved 100 reviews! Thank you so much to those who reviewed, I hope you're with me here as well. Okay, now on with the story. enjoy and remember to review (Let's try and beat 100!)

**1: Sweeper**

A cool afternoon breeze washed over the small town of Karakura. The sunset cast a bloody red haze over the streets and the town began to close down for the day. There was barely any noise, bar the terrified screams coming from a narrow alley.

A lone man walked the streets. Dressed in a white suit and carrying a silver briefcase, he looked like a businessman. That was true. He was in a business...Of sorts. Of course, rather than filing shipping reports he filed wanted notices and arrest warrants and rather than sit behind a desk, he prowled the streets in search of wanted criminals. This man was a sweeper.

Sweepers, government approved vigilantes and bounty hunters. With the right licence, a sweeper is free to hunt down criminals and bring them in for a cash reward.

In the history of sweepers there were many legends but none more so than Sven Volfied. Word had spread that he had caught Rukia Kuchiki, the girl with the largest bounty ever placed. Every time fellow sweepers saw him pass by they would stare in silent awe, wondering how just a regular guy could catch the most dangerous criminal to ever prowl the streets.

Sven puffed away at a cigarette. The smoke trails wafted up into the sky to disappear into nothingness...Much like a special young girl he knew...

Before he could get caught up in his sorrow another piercing scream drifted out from the alleyway just across the road. Without even looking, Sven crossed the road and reached into his coat, drawing his pistol.

"Help me!" A young woman cried. She was wearing a skimpy waitress outfit. A brutish man stood behind her, one hand around her throat, the other groping her.

Sven spat on the ground and glared distastefully at the man. "How pitiful. You're so ugly that you have to force people to love you."

The thug's face twitched at the taunt and he gritted his teeth and snarled. "Shut up! Come any closer and I'll break her neck!"

Sven rolled his eyes. "I don't need to get closer. I have a gun." He waved the weapon around arrogantly.

"Give me the gun!" The thug roared. "Throw it to me and put the suitcase down too!"

Sven hurled the gun at him and raised one hand in the air. "Do I have to drop the case? I don't like it getting dirty."

"Drop it!" The thug was choking the woman to the point that her cheeks were going blue and her body was going limp.

Sven sighed. "Very well. You asked for it." He dropped the suitcase. When it hit the ground a small compartment opened and a net shot out, enveloping the thug and his victim. They both cried out as they were knocked to the ground.

Sven helped the woman out of the tangled mess and then pistol whipped the thug. The woman thanked him and then ran off. Sven dragged the thug to the police station where he was taken by two officers.

"You found him fast!" A secretary gasped. "We only put up the notice yesterday!"

Sven smiled. "Small fry like him are nothing special. I'm merely training for the real thing."

The secretary cocked her head. "Excuse me?"

"Pretty soon I'm going after the toughest guy you've ever seen. It's gonna be rough so I'm honing my skills with these weakling until the time is right." Sven averted his gaze. "I just hope I won't be too late by then..."

The secretary looked around nervously and coughed. "Ahem. Here is your reward. Thanks again."

Sven took the money and headed back home. He walked alone through the quite streets, listening to the soft howls of the wind. On his way he passed a small apartment block. A petite brunette girl was checking the mailbox when Sven stopped beside her.

"Hi Orihime."

The girl jumped, startled by the sudden visitor but when she recognised him her face lit up. "Sven! How are you?"

"Okay, I guess. I've been thinking a lot about Eve lately..."

Orihime frowned. "I'm so sorry. Maybe if I was there I could have..." She trailed off.

"No, there was nothing anyone could do. The die has been cast...Now it's our turn."

Orihime nodded and began sifting through the mail. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the distress in her friend's eyes. "I hope things turn out okay. Eve and Rukia are tougher than they look. They should be able to hold their own until Soul Society gets moving."

Sven nodded. "Yeah...Well, it was nice talking to you."

"Bye Sven!" Orihime waved and flashed a beaming smile, but she dropped the facade when he was out of sight.

It was dark when Sven returned home. He had taken a longer detour just to clear his head. It hadn't worked as well as he hoped but it was good to think things over. He paused out the front of the Kurosaki clinic and grinned.

"At least I've got good neighbours." Sven whispered to himself.

Sephiria had paid for the house next door to the clinic. It had been for sale for months but no-one had taken it. Sven then used part of his reward earnings to furnish the small house. It had taken some time but over the span of two months he had renovated the little block and made it his home. His small compact car sat in the driveway, battered but intact.

The engine had problems that Sven was in no hurry to fix. The town was small so he had relied on walking everywhere. He even continued to do stakeouts, but rather than in his car, he would wait in a cafe or store. It was more effort, but there was no easy street where he would soon be going.

Over the months he had been brought up to speed on the whole situation. All the missing pieces that Rukia never got to explain were filled in and now he was even more prepared for the winter war.

Sven approached the front door and prepared to knock but it was wrenched open by a well-endowed woman with light purple hair. She hugged Sven and led him inside, chirping happily. Sven desperately wanted to share her enthusiasm but he was in no mood for joy.

"Come on Sven! You have to smile more! Eve wouldn't want you to be sad, would she?"

"You're talking as if she's dead!" Sven snapped.

"Maybe, but if you want to rescue her you can't be all mopey. Anyway, you got a letter today."

"A letter? Wow, how amazing..." Sven groaned sarcastically.

Rinslett Walker slapped her roommate and scowled. "Just read the damn thing!"

Sven tore the envelope open and took out the small piece of paper which had the word Chronos written in large gold characters on the letterhead.

"Dear Sven, I hope you are well. I am writing to tell you that the mobilization is going well. Our combined forces shall soon be ready. We should be ready in another two months. Please be patient and we shall rescue Eve and Rukia together."

"That's great!" Rinslett cheered.

Sven cursed and scrunched the letter up, hurling it at the wall. "This is not great! Two more months is to long! Who knows what they are doing to Eve right now? I almost lost her once and I won't let her die! I have to protect her, but I'm stuck here waiting for Chronos to get off their lazy asses! Dammit!" Sven clenched a fist and was about to lash out but he caught himself just in time.

Rinslett backed away. "S-Sven...Please calm down?"

The veteran sweeper bowed his head and headed into the kitchen where he poured a glass of scotch. He downed it far too quickly and then had a refill. He grunted as the strong liquor did its work. "This is killing me...I have to do something quick before I end up as a corpse."

"But Sven-" Rinslett was silenced when the gun was drawn. She stared at the shining weapon with hypnotic fear. "You can't..."

Sven rose to his feet. "I have to. I can't just wait around any longer! I have to go...Goodbye Rinslett."

"No! You'll die if you go alone!"

"Then I'll die trying. I'm not afraid anymore. I'm sick and tired of just sitting here doing nothing while Eve is suffering. This may be the last goodbye Rins."

"This is crazy! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you died!"

"Why? It's not your fault. I'm following my own destiny." Sven said proudly.

"But what about those you leave behind? What if you fail? Eve will be without her best friend! I'll be without my best friend! Please, just think about this?"

"I've thought long enough. See you later..." Sven walked to the door but Rinslett snatched his sleeve and tried to drag him back.

"Wait! Don't go!"

Sven glared at her. The fierce determination in his eyes made her shudder. His mind had been made up. He had found his resolve. There was no way she could stop him. She relaxed her grip and he opened the door.

"Sven..."

He stepped out into the cold and looked around. For a moment he was lost in thought but then he suddenly grabbed Rinslett by the waist and dragged her to his side. He kissed her briefly and then let her go.

"Isshin is one lucky bastard." He said jokingly. Rins smiled weakly as she watched her friend walk off into the darkness, suitcase in one hand, a loaded pistol in the other.

The walk was depressing. Sven was contemplating what Rinslett had said. What of those left behind indeed? It was a tough decision but there were two paths to take. One lead to Hueco Mundo, the other led back home. Both paths would result in Eve's suffering, but there was a slim chance of saving her if he moved now.

He wasn't even sure where he was heading; he just had to keep moving. He was tired but he wouldn't rest. He would search to the ends of the earth until he found...

"Eve?" Sven stared at the blonde girl sitting in the gutter, her head between her knees. He slowly approached her, looking around anxiously, wary of an enemy surprise. This could all be a set-up. Maybe they were just trying to lure him out but-

"Sven...It hurts..." Eve's voice was croaky and it sounded courser than sandpaper.

Sven ran to her side, ignoring his innermost voice screaming at him to stop. He could have used the glaspar eye to see into the future and find out if it was a trap, but he lost all sense of rationality the instant he laid eyes on the wounded girl. He stooped over her and noticed the red puddles in the gutter. He extended a hand to help her when she turned suddenly.

Eve's eyes were rolled up in the back of her head and her skin was almost grey. Sven touched her cheek and reeled from the icy skin.

"What the...She spoke to me! She can't be...She just can't..."

Eve began to laugh and Sven's eyes shot open. Her eyes were glowing and a sinister smile was affixed to her usually gentle expression.

"Eve? What's going on?"

Eve's lips moved, but the voice wasn't hers. It was Aizen's! "You have failed!"

"Wha- urk!" Sven doubled over and groaned. His eyes were pinched shut and he gritted his teeth. When he opened his eyes again Eve was gone, so was the blood puddle. Now, in her place a katana was embedded in his chest. "Eve...Wha-What happened?" Sven brought up a mouthful of blood and spat in the gutter. He fell forward and placed a hand out to keep him up, the other grasped his stomach.

"A trap...Damn!" Sven got on all fours but quickly put one hand on his chest again. He crawled like that, trying to return home. He realised now the gravity of his mistake. He had strayed out alone in an unfit state of mind and fell for the trick.

_Did I imagine Eve? Was my mind so tortured by grief that I thought her up? But...I felt her cheek. I cradled her in my arms...She had to have been there! _

While he struggled to comprehend the events that just unfolded he crawled back. It started to rain, the freezing liquid pattering softly on his back at first, but soon becoming a strong downpour. The drops felt like liquefied bullets, hailing down on him. He endured the punishment and continued on.

Sven opened his suitcase and took out a mobile phone. He dialled his home number. It rang twice before Rins answered.

"Hello?"

"It's me, Sven."

"Sven? Where are you?"

"I don't know. But...I'm coming back home...I-I..."

"Sven? What's wrong? Hello? Are you alright? Sven?"

"..."

"Sven? Are you still there? Sven?"

A devious trap. Is this the first casualty in the Winter war? Read the next chapter to find out.

Now review!


	3. Shinigami

**2: Shinigami**

Ichigo lay awake on his bed. He found himself constantly looking over to the empty cupboard. It reminded him of his missing love, but he decided it was best not to dwell on her absence. He forced himself to get up and get something to eat. Anything to get his mind off of Rukia.

He lurched down the stairs, his head hung low. When he reached the bottom he noticed his father standing in the doorway, draping his arms over someone. Curiosity got the better of him and Ichigo decided to have a look.

He approached slowly, trying not to make any noise.

"What do you want, son?" Isshin snapped.

Ichigo stopped walking on the tips of his toes and straightened up. "What's going on?"

"It's not important. Just leave me alone."

"It sure looks important and-" Ichigo couldn't help but recognize the woman trapped in his father's embrace. "You're that woman from next-door! Sven's friend...Um...Ah..." He couldn't place the name to the face and it seemed to make her cry. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to forget your name it's just that-"

"Ichigo! Go away!" Isshin snarled. "Rins-Chan is not feeling well."

Ichigo frowned. "Well why isn't Sven minding her?" That caused her weeping to intensify. Ichigo bit his tongue and backed away. "What's wrong with her?"

Isshin opened his mouth to yell at his son but Rinslett pushed him aside and collapsed at Ichigo's feet. "Sven!" She cried. "He...He...He ran off...But...But..." She couldn't get it out. She had to stop constantly to take deep breaths or sob. Isshin helped her up and led her into the lounge room. He draped a towel around her and sat her down.

"Poor thing, you shouldn't have gone running about without an umbrella. You're soaked."

"Never mind me!" Rinslett croaked. "Sven's out there!"

"I know. You told me. I'm sure he's just waiting for the rain to stop. He'll come back." Isshin spoke reassuringly, his usually gruff tone discarded for a smoother one. "Ichigo, make yourself useful and get her some tea."

"Sure." Ichigo stepped into the kitchen and prepared the drink, all the while eavesdropping on their conversation. There was definitely something wrong. Why else would she be crying like a nervous wreck?

"Please calm down. I'm sure he's fine!" Isshin reassured her again, stroking a hand through her damp purple hair.

"No! You don't understand! We had a fight! He wanted to rescue Eve all by himself but I told him to wait! He didn't listen to me and he ran off!" Rinslett sniffed loudly and made a choking noise. "Then...Then...He called me and said...He was coming home."

"Well then, there's nothing to worry about!" Isshin exclaimed.

"No! He tried to say something else but...But he never managed. He went all silent and didn't respond! I-I think he's hurt or...Or worse!"

Ichigo's eyes widened. He dropped the cup and the scalding hot liquid splattered all over the floor. That final line struck a chord in his mind.

"Ichigo? Did you drop something? Hey Ichigo!" Isshin called from the other room. He got up and ran into the kitchen but the room was empty. "What the hell? Ichigo, where did you go? Ichigo?"

The door slammed shut and in an instant, Isshin knew what was going on. He shook his head and frowned. He made another cup of tea and returned to Rinslett's side. "Sorry about that. You know teenagers these days. It's all about drama."

* * *

Ichigo darted over rooftops, the solid rain pelting his back. The massive guardless sword shielded him partially but it wasn't enough. He was drenched within a few seconds. He wiped the large drops fro his forehead, stopping them from sweeping down into his eyes. He blinked out the worst of it and studied the world beneath him. The streets were bare except for the main road which was choked with grid-locked traffic.

_Sven...I hope you're alive! We made an oath...To save them together! I can't let you die so soon!_

It was an exhausting search. Leaping over rooftops was becoming incredibly difficult with his sodden kimono. He had to run on the ground like a regular person. He kept his senses wary of any weak presence but he never traced Sven.

After what felt like an eternity of scanning the darkened streets he discovered something lying in a gutter. At first it looked like a sandbag, but Ichigo knew better than that. He sprinted towards the object and slipped in a puddle. He crawled on his hands and knees unit he was above it.

"Sven...No..."

The unfortunate sweeper was curled up in a ball, most likely trying to shield himself from the cold. Deep rivulets of blood soaked into the pavement and ran with the rain down through the gutter. His suit was all dirty and torn in some placed. His skin was deathly pale and worst of all...A large bloody stab wound ran straight through him, front to back.

"Impossible...It...It can't be!"

"GAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" A horrible, agonised scream echoed from a nearby alley. Ichigo ran down the man-made corridor and discovered something shocking.

Sven's soul was cowering between a dumpster and a corner wall. He was shaking uncontrollably and facing away from Ichigo. His arms were wrapped around himself.

"S-Sven?" Ichigo whispered cautiously.

Sven replied with a loud cry and he spun around suddenly. His eyes were wide and terrified. He stared at Ichigo and began to tremble.

"Ichigo...What's happening...To...Me?" Before an answer could be uttered Sven fell to his knees and roared again.

Ichigo approached slowly, taking note of the short length of chain attached to Sven's chest. There was no doubt anymore. Sven was dead and pretty soon he would become worse than dead...

The chain was only five links now and the encroachment was beginning to go through its final stages. Ichigo took his sword from his back and stared at it. There was no special marking for Soul Burials. Rukia would have been able to save him, but she was gone...There was no other way around it.

Ichigo bowed his head. "I'm sorry Sven. I can't stop the pain...All I can do is put you out of your misery."

Sven almost choked. "You're going to kill me? Please? You're a shinigami! Surely you can stop the chain eating me!"

"The chain won't eat you unless you interfere with it. However...You will cease to exist as you are once the chain is gone."

"What do you mean? What'll happen to me?"

"You will turn into a hollow." Ichigo said bluntly.

Sven fell silent for a moment but the chain links dropped down to only two and he screamed, writhing about on the ground. Ichigo stepped over him, raising his sword, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry Sven."

"No!" Sven shielded himself with his hands. "There has to be another way! Please...I have to rescue Eve!"

"There is no other way. I can't perform Konso so this is the only thing to do. I'll make it quick, before you become a festering, soul-hungry beast!"

"No! Eve...Rescue...AAAAARRRGGH!" The final link was beginning to turn on itself. Sven began to convulse.

Ichigo tried to fight back the tears but it was a downhill battle. He closed his eyes and sniffed. "I'm so sorry Sven...I promise I'll save Eve...I promise!" He tightened his grip on the sword and stiffened. He struggled to hold his sword steady in his shaking hands. He cursed at his inability to act. Time was running out. Ichigo had to act fast before-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHH!"

A large explosion threw Ichigo into the brick walls behind him. He was thrown into it and fell through into the building. He clawed his way out of the rubble and leaned against his sword. "Sven..."

The sweeper no looked like the man everyone knew. His face was covered in a melted white substance that soaked into his face and began to create a new mould. His arms began to bulge and rippling muscles tore through his sleeve and made his shirt turn to a tattered piece of cloth that fell to the ground. Spines burst out of his back. His fingers extended and claws grew on each tip. A blade tipped tail whipped about violently.

"No..." Ichigo whispered in disbelief.

Sven, or at least what used to be Sven glared at Ichigo with a single glowing red eye. Where his other eye should have been was a patch of mask with red markings. A single red line ran from the missing eye, up across the forehead to the opposite side, looking like an eye patch.

Ichigo took up his sword and tensed his muscles, prepared to fight to the death.

The hollow roared and charged, swiping its large clawed hands at the smaller foe. Ichigo ducked and weaved around the clumsy strikes and slammed the flat of his blade into Sven's gut. Hollow Sven reeled back but retaliated with his tail. Ichigo tried to block but the pale appendage coiled around him and lifted him from the ground before smashing him into the ground and surrounding buildings.

Ichigo roared fiercely and an explosion of reiatsu made the tail unfurl and return to its master. Ichigo stood his ground, the blue aura blazing around him, consuming the walls that trapped him in. He glared at the monster. It was no longer Sven. The caring, devoted sweeper was no more, merely a shell of a hungry beast.

"Sven would never have wanted to become this...For his sake I have to destroy you!" Ichigo raised his sword and cried, "Getsuga Tensho!" A massive blast of blue energy shot forth from his blade and the hollow leapt high into the air, dodging the strike which decimated the walled area around them and reduced the entire block to rubble.

Hollow Sven dropped to Earth with an earth-shattering boom. The ground cracked beneath him and a small tremor made Ichigo rock on his feet. He regained his footing and charged. With a great battle-cry Ichigo hacked at his former friend. The hollow stepped aside and scratched Ichigo, raking his claws into his back.

Ichigo fell forward but rolled to one side and swung his sword in a wide, horizontal arc, once again releasing a large blast of energy.

Hollow Sven had no time to react and the blast consumed him, blowing his midsection apart and bifurcating him. Dark blood splattered the area and the maimed upper half of the hollow stared up at the sky, unable to move.

Ichigo limped over to the fallen beast and stepped on its chest. Murderous contempt fuelled him on as he placed the tip of his sword against the beast's forehead. "I'm sorry Sven...I should have done this earlier!"

The blade sank through the mask and the hollow howled, its body contorting in its death throes. Within seconds its body disintegrated and vanished into thin air.

Ichigo threw Zangetsu to the ground and dropped on all fours. He stared into his reflection in a blood puddle and began to weep.

As he stared deeper into the rippling flood of death he began to see the faces of his missing friends. They all stared vacantly at him, betrayed looks in their cold eyes. Ichigo gritted his teeth and apologised to them. "Sorry...Sorry I couldn't protect you...I couldn't save you...I couldn't...I...I..." Unable to finish he broke down into tears. He sobbed endlessly until he felt the rain stop. He glanced up at the sky only to see a familiar face and an umbrella.

* * *

Ichigo sat in the back seat of the car, enjoying the warm air coming from the heater. He closed his eyes and tried to lose himself in the blissful warmth but the fresh memories of what he had done cut through him like a knife.

"I guess you found him." Isshin murmured. Ichigo glanced up at his father but said nothing. Even if he wanted to, words would only fail him. "I never wanted you to go searching for him. I was going to do it myself once Rinslett had calmed down. Death is never an easy thing to get used to..."

"Hollow..." Ichigo whispered under his breath.

"What was that son?"

Ichigo shook his head and felt a fresh wave of tears coming on.

"You know, slaying a hollow is not necessarily killing one." Ichigo looked up with a gleam of hope in his eyes. His father's words had conjured a memory of Rukia...An important lesson she had taught him in his early days as a Shinigami.

_Ichigo and Rukia were in Orihime's apartment. Rukia cradled a dying Orihime, trying to bring her back from the brink of death. Ichigo stood opposite them standing his ground against a large hollow with a serpentine body and thick, muscly arms. The cracked mask revealed the identity of the beast and it was Orihime's older brother, Sora. _

_Their battle had ended when Orihime took a hit from the hollow in order to save Ichigo. As her dark blood gushed down her front and into the carpet she apologised for making her brother sad. Sora's fangs remained deep in her shoulder. Orihime hugged him, keeping him there while she whispered soothingly to him. As her legs began to tremble Sora held her steady but inevitably she fell. _

_Rukia began to heal her while Ichigo and Sora had their silent stand off. Knowing the grave mistake he had made, Sora grasped the shinigami's sword and pressed it to his own throat. Ichigo tried to stop him, not wanting Sora to die after regaining his humanity, but something Rukia said made it all right._

_She smiled sweetly. "It's okay Ichigo. To reap hollows is not to kill them, but merely free them of sin."_

Ichigo's eyes widened. The final words remained trapped in his head for the whole car ride home...

_"The zanpakuto cleanses them...So that they can pass on to Soul Society..."_

* * *

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	4. Assassin

**3: Assassin**

Train watched the little Princess get taken away. Rukia was forcefully taken alongside her. They were merely pawns to the diabolical man named Aizen. He had never even heard of the man, yet there was a strong fear of him upon the first sighting...

"You Bastard!" Train roared, lifting his arm. The injured limb rose shakily, excruciating pain burning all over. Train gritted his teeth and continued to bring the weapon up, not ready to give up just yet. He pulled the trigger and the recoil nearly broke his arm.

The bullet soared up to the evil man but was blocked by the orange barrier around him. Aizen smirked arrogantly and the rage burning within Train suddenly escaped in a furious outburst that his frail body could no longer contain.

With an earth-shattering roar he fired again and again, unleashing the full extent of his diminishing powers. The muzzle flashes went on and on endlessly and bullets were flying out left right and centre, all of them failing to break through the barrier. Regardless, Train continued to hold the trigger down, screaming bloody murder.

Aizen watched the display with morbid fascination. He was taking enjoyment out of Train's failures.

Train fired the last round and then lowered his weapon, panting heavily. At that point he knew he was not strong enough...Not even close. With a defeat worse than any other, Train vanished, unable to face those he had let down.

He fled the town, running endlessly. Even when he couldn't run no more, he pushed himself beyond what any normal man could do. He ran until he was no longer able to run, then he let himself fall to the ground. He lay there, no longer able to move. He listened to the erratic beating of his heart and the soft whispers of the wind until he drifted off into a dark world where there was no longer any pain...

* * *

Train awoke in an unfamiliar home. He was lying in a bed, covered in bandages. He glanced around the room and noticed someone standing by the window, gazing outside at the rising sun. The stranger turned to face Train and a smile crossed his face.

"You are finally awake, Train."

There was something familiar about the man, though it took a moment for his identity to sink in. When it did, Train became lost. He didn't know whether to be happy or enraged. He couldn't decide whether to speak with the man or strangle him and kill him.

The man recognised Train's unease and chuckled softly. "Please Train, I mean you no harm. We are friends after all."

Train coughed violently before glaring up at the man. "We are not friends!"

"Oh please, you cannot deny the bonds we shared. We may have had our problems, but in the end we were always friends...That was why you let me live back then." The man's smile was the final nail in the coffin.

Train was certain of the man's identity now. It was Creed Diskenth...His mortal enemy. Train's glare brought a grin to Creed's face.

"Ah, there he is! The Black Cat is not yet gone!"

"Why am I here?" Train interrupted.

"I found you unconscious in the forest. I had to bring you back to my home where I could treat your injuries." Creed suddenly stiffened. "How have you been? Well I trust?"

Train's glare said it all and suddenly Creed's face paled.

"No...They found you?"

Train was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"That man...He was looking for that girl, the bio-weapon."

"How do you know about him?" Train sat bolt upright.

"He threatened me! I was going to die! They were going to kill Echidona as well! I had to tell them that you were the one who would lead them to her." Creed flinched, expecting to be attacked. He was right to do so. Train lunged at him, grabbing his throat and choking him.

"You bastard! How could you? You led them straight to Eve and lured that psychopath out of hiding! I swear I'll kill you for this!"

Creed shoved Train back and wheezed. "I never thought they would actually find you and I thought even if they did, the real Train Heartnett would be able to defeat them...Was I wrong?"

Train cursed and sat back down. "They are all dead...But that isn't the problem. The stunt they pulled lured an even greater threat out of hiding and now Eve is being held captive in some other world..."

"I'm sorry..." Creed whispered. "But all is not lost."

Train glanced up at his foe.

"Just then...The Black Cat lashed out. If you can once again bring him to the surface...Then all your opponents shall bow to you!" Creed had the maniacal look in his eyes that had consumed him in the final battle long ago. "I...I shall help you bring that warrior to the surface. I shall revive you Train!"

"And I thought you would change...I was a fool to let you go." Train rose to leave but Creed blocked the doorway.

"You cannot leave! You have not healed-"

"Move!" Train snarled.

Creed merely sighed and smiled. "See...This is good for you. By reuniting with me, that murderous gleam in your eyes has returned. By the time your wounds heal, you shall be the blood-thirsty assassin I always admired!"

Train closed his eyes and cursed. "The only reason I have not knocked you out is because I have a use for you!" Train spoke in a demanding tone. There was no refusing him, his mind was set and he would use force if necessary to get his way.

"Anything for you...Black Cat." Creed smiled wickedly.

Train stared down at the holster by his side and then glanced up with fierce determination. "I need you to train me...In the art of the sword." Train extended a hand.

Creed bowed before taking Trains hand and shaking it firmly. "It would be an honour to pass on my skills to the great assassin. As you wish, I shall teach you all that I know. Soon you shall be unstoppable!"

Train flexed his arm. "Let's start. I have little time to waste."

Creed bowed again. "Follow me."

* * *

Train and Creed stood in a plain field. Both held exquisite, shining katanas. Train took up the stance he had been taught over the past few days and tensed his muscles.

Creed waved his sword around in a circle and then pointed it at his opponent. "Come! Show me what you have learned!"

Train roared, charging head on, the blade pointing behind him and facing downward. As he neared he brought the blade up in a diagonal slash. Creed backed away and knocked Train's sword aside before taking a jab at the Black cat's exposed chest. Train back-flipped out of harms way and then lunged forward, thrusting the blade at Creed who gracefully manoeuvred around it and kicked Train in the back.

Train rocked forward but went into a one-handed hand stand, using the free hand to hack at Creed's knees. The former nemesis hopped over the strike and snap kicked Train's stomach, causing him to flop onto his back. Creed then relentlessly stabbed at the ground as Train rolled about.

"Excellent! Your reflexes are astounding! But can you beat me?" Creed doubled his efforts and his wild hacking threw dirt into Train's eyes. He paused momentarily and Creed thought he had the chance to finish this. He jabbed at the blind spot but Train brought his blade up and blocked the strike. The two swords remained crossed and the two battled to overpower the other. They gritted their teeth and grunted and growled. The two put their all into it and eventually Creed was forced to back off, giving Train the chance to get back on his feet, at which point he was panting like a dog.

Creed sheathed his sword and clapped. "Well done. You're improving quickly. In a few more weeks you will be able to surpass me."

Train assumed a fighting stance. "We aren't done here yet!"

Creed smiled. "Yes we are. You are too weak now. Your injuries are taking a large toll on your endurance. You must not push yourself too far. You must wait until you are at your peak and-"

"I'm tired of waiting!" Train roared. "I want to learn how to fight as quickly as possible so that I can save Eve and Rukia!"

Creed scowled. "Once again, the curse of a woman has blinded you to reason. Must this happen all over again?"

Train wiped the dirt from his eyes. "Come on! Finish the training! I've already spent a week doing this, I need to hurry!"

Creed bowed his head and said nothing.

"Hey! Answer me! Creed!" Train slowly approached him but that only made the mentally unstable man snap.

Creed launched a sudden offensive, slashing furiously. Train blocked as best he could but the brute force behind each hit was strong enough to almost knock him over.

"You've been cursed again! I tried so hard to set you free but once again you have fallen from grace! You have been tainted by another woman!"

"What? Are you crazy? Listen to yourself!"

"How dare you! I thought I could help unleash your wrath upon your enemies, but even after all this time you are still a slave to your humanity! You can be so much more! You could achieve what I could not! True immortality! You could be invincible! The ultimate killer!"

"I don't care for your delusional fantasies! I merely want to save my friends! It has nothing to do with becoming a god or taking over the world! It's people with those kinds of aspirations that I have to destroy!" Train fought back, launching his own counter-attack. His rage was fuelling him to fight with renewed vigour.

Creed tried to turn the tide but slowly he recognised it...Train's eyes were changing. They were beginning to glow bright yellow, becoming more feline. The Black cat was truly coming out to the surface.

Creed grinned maliciously and pressed the attack, forcing Train to draw upon his inner assassin more and more until...

'Schluck!'

Creed stared down at his chest where the sword was embedded deep within his flesh. A smile came to his face and he grasped the blade with his bare hands, ignoring the pain as it carved through his palms.

"Train...I did it...I brought the real killer to the surface!" He coughed up blood and then revealed a hideous, bloody grin. "You are almost ready...Now all you need to do is heal your wounds! When that is done, you will be ready to pursue your foes and bring them their bad luck!"

Train smiled grimly. "I guess I should thank you." He yanked the blade out of Creed and watched him collapse to his knees. "I really needed to see you...Seeing your hideous face and listening to your voice...It brought back the hatred that made me stronger!"

Train began to depart when Creed called out to him, crawling after his idol like a fanatical child. "Wait!" He cried. Train paused and glanced over his shoulder. "Take me with you!" Creed begged. "To see you destroy your enemies...To fight alongside you...It would give my life meaning once more..."

Train walked away. "Whatever. Do what you want as long as you don't get in my way!"

Creed clasped his hands together as if praying. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I shall not get in your way as you lay waste to those you despise. I may even make you stronger!"

Train ignored him and continued walking. "How do I get to Karakura?"

Creed thought for a moment. "Let us return to the villa first. You left Hades there. I shall lead you there when we are prepared."

* * *

Train waited on the front porch while Creed had a tear-filled farewell with Echidona. The tears were only in her eyes though. Creed's resolve would not waver now that he finally had his long awaited chance to fight alongside the Black Cat.

When they were done Echidona created a portal to the small town of Karakura. The two warriors stepped through, ready to embark on their perilous quest.

They arrived near the river and followed it to a small apartment building. It belonged to Inoue Orihime, the human girl with the amazing ability to heal any wound, no matter how serious.

Train banged on the door to the tiny apartment but there was no answer for quite some time. It was only after several minutes that the door was pushed open but Train got a nasty surprise. Orihime was dressed all in black and wore the saddest face he had ever seen.

"Orihime..."

"Train? Did you hear about...About...I'm sorry!" Orihime fell into Trains arms and wept. He held her for a while until she was able to speak.

"Orihime, what happened? Why are you so upset?"

"So...You really haven't heard?" Orihime asked, stunned.

"No. I've been...Busy lately." Train waited for the explanation.

Orihime took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. Her cheeks were puffy and red, as were her eyes. She looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep for a few days now. She was truly miserable.

"I really don't know how to say this but...Sven...' she paused for a moment, desperately trying to find the right words. She could not satisfy her wish and her shoulders slumped. She gazed mournfully into Trains eyes and held it steadily as she explained.

"Sven is dead." She said flatly.

* * *

Tragic news! Will Train remain strong after hearing of his best friends death or will it weaken him, burying the Black Cat? Could this bring Train to a new level of strength? Find out in the next chapter!

I hope you've been enjoying the story so far. It has been much darker than the predecessor, but it is just as good! Please review. It is your kind words that drive me to write.


	5. Captive

**4: Captive**

Eve stared out the only window in her room. It was barred and also placed high up on the wall. Outside she could see the crescent moon, one which never left. Unlike her home, this world was trapped in eternal night. Because of that, it was impossible to tell how long she had been here...She just hoped it had not been too long...

Her thoughts wandered constantly to her friends. The people she had left behind. She could see the pain in their eyes just before she disappeared into the abyssal void in the sky. She had been too afraid to try and stop Aizen. She could have fought him, or at the very least escaped before he could do anything.

Alas, she had frozen up the moment that man laid eyes on her. The crushing, overwhelming power that emanated from him was terrifying. She had never felt something like it before...Aizen's power was beyond anything she could have possibly imagined.

She turned away from the window, alerted by the sound of footsteps. The door opened silently and a ghostly pale figure entered without the slightest noise. He stopped a few metres away from her and his body remained frozen. As he spoke, the only parts of him to move were his lips. Even his eyes remained trained on her.

"I have been ordered to take care of you while you are here." The man's voice was icy cold. It made Eve shiver. "Lord Aizen wishes to use you in his plans, but for now you must remain here. I shall be your guardian until the time is right."

"Who...Who are you?" Eve whimpered.

"Ulquiorra Schiffer."

"Ulquiorra..."

The creep remained frozen, as if it were impossible for him to move. He said nothing, merely stared at Eve with his merciless, emerald eyes. Green streaks were painted on his pallid cheeks, resembling tears. He was almost scarier than Aizen.

Eve cowered, moving into the corner of the room, but Ulquiorra stalked her, walking with his shoulders rigid and his hands in his pockets. "You need not fear me Eve. I am here to ensure you remain alive."

That did not help at all. Keeping her alive was one thing, but protecting her form harm was another altogether. Eve curled up in a ball and shuddered. "Please...Please leave me alone."

Ulquiorra's expression did not change. "No." He said coldly. "You humans are weak creatures. You let emotions cloud your judgement and your strength. That is why you are inferior. The hearts you speak of so highly. You say they keep you alive, but they also damn you to weakness."

Eve stared at the floor, unable to stand looking at this monster anymore. The vaguely human Ulquiorra drifted out silently but he stopped at the door. "I shall visit again later." With that he disappeared.

Over the next few days (Or at least what felt like days) Ulquiorra made his visits. He would check to make sure she was alright, give her a small meal and then disappear, always leaving with a haunting speech about human frailty, their flaws, their weaknesses, their impending doom...

Each time, Eve felt worse and worse, until each visit repulsed her to the point of being sick. When she was ill, Ulquiorra would have to take care of her, making things worse. Each time he asked her how she was feeling she would retch.

Eventually, Eve became paranoid of the time. She wanted to prepare herself for Ulquiorra's visits but without knowing when she was utterly helpless. She gave into her curiosity while Ulquiorra was dropping off her meal and asked him.

Ulquiorra stared at her with his dead gaze as usual. "It's been two months since you first came here."

"Two months?" Eve repeated.

Ulquiorra glared at her, though it was hard to tell whether he was angry or not since the expression was permanently affixed to him. He placed the small tray down and rose to leave. He paused in the doorway as he always did, but this time his parting words were far different.

"Lord Aizen has decided it is nearly time."

"Time for what?" Eve asked timidly.

"The end, of course. The end of humanity...And the end of Soul Society."

"But...Why would he kill so many innocent people? That is genocide." Eve recalled the word from one the many books she had read at home.

"Lord Aizen shall use the Hogyoku to create the Royal Key. With it he shall slay the King of Soul Society and rule for himself. If the weak must die to achieve that goal then so be it. Lord Aizen's wishes shall be granted even at the cost of all that you hold dear."

Eve whimpered. Ulquiorra observed her behaviours for a moment and then his eyes began to glow with a sickening light. "Speaking of which...Your friend, Sven Volfied is dead." He waited to watch the response from the poor young girl.

Eve seemed not to register it at first, almost as if she did not believe him. Ulquiorra felt it necessary to repeat himself but before he could the girl suddenly lurched forward and screamed. Her tortured sobs had no effect on the stone-faced ghoul that watched over her.

Ulquiorra was devoid of any soul. The sight of a fragile young child weeping for her lost friend meant nothing to him. His sole purpose was to fulfil his orders and nothing else. He would kill the girl without hesitation if he was ordered to do so. Such was the ruthlessness of the pale monster.

"Lord Aizen personally went to Karakura town to administer the execution. He fooled him into seeing you and then drove his sword right through his heart, thus breaking it physically as well as emotionally. To a human such a death is truly awful."

"Shut up!" Eve shrieked, grasping the sides of her head. She doubled over and sobbed. Ulquiorra frowned at her and approached slowly. Eve did not move, affixed to the same spot where she wept over the loss.

Ulquiorra stood over her and drove his boot hard into the back of her head. She yelped as he grabbed her by her long straight hair and threw her onto her back. He then stomped on her chest and drew his sword. The thin piece of sharpened steel hovered above her throat.

"Stop crying or you shall have no eyes to cry with." Ulquiorra hissed. His usual scowl remained but his eyes seemed to blaze with a powerful hatred. "You are controlled by your heart. You are of no use to Lord Aizen as a snivelling little dog."

Eve couldn't help it. She was so terrified that the tears kept coming. Ulquiorra stepped off of her and sheathed his sword. "I shall leave you for now, but be warned. If next time we meet, there are tears in your eyes..." He let Eve use her imagination and left. As soon as he was gone Eve curled up into a ball and drowned her eyes with gushing tears.

* * *

It seemed like forever without any visits from the cold-hearted monster. The milky skinned demon had not returned for several days, or so Eve assumed as she was dying of hunger. She could feel herself wasting away to nothing. Without food she was always tired. Her stomach was aching, begging to be filled.

She was about to go to sleep when the door to her cell opened. She was stunned to see Aizen enter her room, carrying a large tray. He smiled venomously at her and set the tray down.

"I hear Ulquiorra has been ignoring you lately. You must be famished. Here, eat this."

Eve didn't move, afraid to get any closer to the cruel warlord.

"Do not fear me. I don't mean you any harm. In fact today I'm letting you go."

Eve's eyes narrowed. "Really?"

"Yes. Your friend's funeral is today. You should attend."

Eve tried to resist, but the words just came out. "Thank you."

Aizen walked over and patted her head. "No need to thank me. Think of this...As your last goodbye." Aizen chuckled menacingly. "Pretty soon all of your friends will be dead and gone. Since you never got to say goodbye, I'm giving you the chance now. Isn't that generous?"

Eve couldn't speak, she was too disgusted. She merely glared at her captor until he left. Once he was out of sight she lunged at the meal and devoured it ravenously. It was the most enjoyment she had had in her sordid little cell. As good as it was to fill her empty stomach it was little comfort to the terrible fact that her best friend was no longer alive.

She had been trapped in a tiny room while he was fighting for his life. She hadn't been there to say goodbye or to thank him for everything he had done for her. She had missed his final moments...In the end she was useless.

That fact cut through her like a knife. It made her want to scream to the false heavens. It made her want to throw away her meaningless life and go down in a blaze of glory, only to reunite with Sven in another place beyond mortal existence.

Alas, it would be all for nothing. No matter what happened beyond death, those worlds beyond the imagination would soon crumble under Aizen's maniacal machinations. Sven's death would no doubt shatter the already fragile morale of the others. With their hopes gone there would be little chance of defeating the powerful villain.

Worse still, Aizen was not alone. He had several guards that served him in his mighty fortified palace, Las Noches. Even if her rescuers could make it into this desolate world their chances of surviving to see a peaceful world was scarce.

At the moment Aizen laid hands on that tiny orb...The war was already over...

The Hogyoku was the one thing that stopped Aizen from gaining supreme power. Now with it nestled gently within the palm of his hand he had everything he needed. With it he can now raise an army of invincible warriors, obedient servants who will slay anyone who stands in the way...Ulquiorra was one such servant. In his numerous visits he had explained much about the Hogyoku and the nefarious creations born from its unnatural power.

Eve felt little hope...But a chance of escape had appeared. If she were to attend Sven's funeral, among all of their friends then maybe...Just maybe, she could be rescued on her own home ground. It was a wild idea; surely Aizen wouldn't overlook such an obvious flaw. Still...

* * *

Eve stared at her reflection in a small mirror set into the wall of yet another chamber. She looked deathly pale and skinnier than she had remembered. Her captivity had taken a heavy toll on her. Her hair had been falling out, but she used her nanomachines to smooth it out and make it look presentable.

She wore a black leather dress which had white frilled edges. She had loose black sleeves that ran along her arms but left her hands and shoulders bare. She spun around and glanced at herself in the dusty reflection.

"Ready?" A cold blank whisper drifted from behind the door.

Eve bowed her head. "Yes." She replied timidly.

Ulquiorra entered and handed her a bracelet. "Put this on."

Eve did so hesitantly. "What is it?"

"It disguises your presence from shinigami and humans. You will be non-existent to them as long as you wear this. Only we can trace you." Ulquiorra blinked and kept his eyes closed. "Do not test Lord Aizen's patience. We will destroy you if you so much as think of betrayal."

"I understand..." Eve whispered. She was led out into a long hallway which wound up in a huge chamber where a portal was formed. It would take her to the funeral. Eve stared into the black hole with awe. She was afraid to step in but she was gently coaxed in by Aizen himself.

She took a deep breath and then stepped inside.

* * *

Eve found herself standing on the roof of a tall building. She went over to the railing and cast her gaze down on the town below. A large gathering of people were amassing at the gates of a cemetery across the road.

Eve leapt over the edge and used her wings to fly down. She hoped the spectacle would make them notice her but nobody even turned their heads to look at her. It as true, she was non-existent to them.

Eve swooped down next to Rinslett Walker who was being comforted by Ichigo's father. Rinslett was barely able to stand, her erratic sobbing making her lose control of herself. Isshin seemed less affected, though he had only known Sven for a short time.

"Rinslett..." Eve whispered, but she didn't even hear her. Eve sighed and headed off through the crowd to find Ichigo. He was leaning against the fence, his gaze lowered, and his eyes bloodshot. He looked as if he hadn't had any sleep in the past week.

"Ichigo." A familiar voice called softly from the crowd. People stepped aside as the bubbly brunette, Orihime approached him. She had lost her usual energy, but then again, it seemed everyone had. It only further proved the doubts of defeating Aizen.

"Hey Orihime." Ichigo muttered, not even looking up at her. Inoue leaned next to him and placed a hand on his chest. She whispered soothing words to him and he thanked her before moving off into the crowd which was surging through the gates which had now opened.

As soon as she passed the gates Eve felt a chill run down her spine. She was paralysed with fear and stopped right in the path of the oncoming mourners. She expected to be shoved aside, but someone walked right through her as she was a ghost. Her eyes narrowed and she decided to test it out by walking through others.

_I am...Nothing..._

Eve took a seat near the front but Ichigo was going to sit on her so she had to move. She found another seat near the back and was left alone. She looked up the front where a white coffin was placed above a deep grave. Sven's hat rested on the lid along with a photograph of him in a bar full of sweepers. He was raising his glass with one hand and had the other draped around someone. At first Eve didn't know who it was, but then it dawned on her...It was her.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she leaned forward, cradling her head in her hands. She was sobbing loudly, but it fell on deaf ears.

A priest began the ceremony with a few words. Eve didn't listen, absorbed in her grief. She let her tears fall to the ground. She stared at her hands and sniffed. "Sven...I wanted to be strong like you...I wanted to be able to protect people...I wanted to be useful...In the end I was worthless. I couldn't save myself and instead led you to your death...It's my fault!"

"Sven was a true gentleman." The priest went on. "He was a beloved friend to many and we will never forget his courage, his spirit and his determination. He will be dearly missed, but he will live on in our hearts."

Eve glared down at the bracelet. She wanted to destroy it, but she would be hunted down if she did. However, she was already marked for death...Nothing would change...

Eve concentrated and a lock of hair slowly changed shape, becoming a sharpened blade. The blade hovered over the bracelet, slowly lowering itself over the tiny charm. Eve made sure the blade was aimed correctly and then she laid the edge on the ornament and began slowly sawing through it.

_Sven...I will avenge you! I swear I will kill Aizen for what he did...I will be useful!_

Eve was about to cut through the bracelet when a shadow enveloped her. She glanced over her shoulder and her jaw dropped.

"T-Train?"

Train took Eve's seat, forcing her to stand up. She wanted to speak with him but she knew she couldn't. But even if she could, his expression was a sign not to disturb him. He looked different for some reason, as if he was a different person...

Someone stood behind him but none of the mourners even paid him a single glance. Eve recognised the pale man instantly. It was a foe she had never anticipated to run into ever again...It was Creed! He still had his twisted smile, even at a funeral. Such a revolting creature...Eve had forgotten that monster resided in the World of the Living as well...

Eve turned away and decided to focus on destroying the bracelet. She positioned the blade over the cracked object and prepared to finish the job when a milky white hand gripped her wrist. She knew at once who it was and she screamed as loud as she could.

Unfortunately, her cries for help would not reach her friends who were right beside her.

Two monsters gather at Sven's funeral but which one is the real threat? Eve has been caught trying to escape. Can she escape Ulquiorra's clutches before it is too late? The answers lie ahead. Keep reading!

Now review. Your kind words drive me to write.


	6. Retrieval

**5: Retrieval**

Eve stared at the pale fingers that coiled around her wrist, forming an unimaginably powerful grip. She screamed at the top of her lungs, but all her friends...Those who would save her...their ears were not tuned to her cries. Even Train, who sat right beside her, was unable to hear her.

The service went on, without anyone taking notice of the struggle going on nearby.

Eve squirmed but it was little use. Ulquiorra had caught her in an iron grip. She was helpless...Unless she fought back.

Ulquiorra seemed to read her mind and his penetrating glare bore through her. "Do not resist. It will only lead you to your death."

Eve scowled and unleashed two long blades made from her hair. Ulquiorra let go of her and weaved around the blades. He sighed and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her from the ground. She made strangled whimpers but it did not face the emotionless demon.

_Somebody...Please...Help..._

Ulquiorra wrenched his arm to one side, hurling the small girl into a tombstone a few metres away. It crumbled under the impact and caused a loud noise as well as a cloud of dust.

The mourners suddenly turned to see what the commotion was, but they saw nothing but dust. There was no young girl fending off against a pale assailant. They frowned and resumed the ceremony as if nothing had happened.

Eve crawled out of the wreckage and got back on her feet. She sent the two blades towards her foe but Ulquiorra vanished. Before she could react Ulquiorra appeared behind her and struck her down with the back of his hand.

"You underestimate me. You think your worthless little tricks can work against me. You are sorely mistaken. I shall let you join your friend in the afterlife." Ulquiorra stalked her slowly, his footsteps deafening as his feet crunched through the rubble beneath him.

Eve screamed and sent forth her hair blades again. Ulquiorra did not try to dodge. He stopped in his tracks and held out his hand. The two blades connected with the palm of his hand and went no further. He had effectively blocked her attack with just his bare hand.

"Give up. Your fight is over. Your friends shall never rescue you as you will be dead before this funeral ends. Even the Kuchiki girl will be executed before Soul Society is finished mobilising. The end for this entire world is soon at hand. It is a shame you cannot witness it." Ulquiorra

drew his sword and made his slow, rigid stroll over to his prey.

Eve tried to crawl away but with Ulquiorra's blinding speed he would catch her in no time. There was no hope of escape or even fighting back...She was doomed. Doomed to die only a hands reach away from her friends...

Eve cowered as Ulquiorra reached her. He raised his sword. Eve closed her eyes and curled up into a ball. The blade came crashing down and Eve desperately dived out of the way. Ulquiorra tried again but this time Eve made a shield. It shattered under Ulquiorra's amazing power and Eve was thrown on her back like a stranded turtle.

Ulquiorra drew the sword up at a diagonal, his arm concealing half of his face, leaving only his merciless stare in plain sight. He then traced the line back down in a swift slash Eve barely dodged, the blade slicing through a thick lock of hair. She cried out and leapt into the air, using angelic wings to fly.

Ulquiorra bent down and picked up the strand of hair he cut free. He made an irritated grunt and then flash stepped next to her. Eve brought her hands up to protect her face and Ulquiorra's blade collided with the bracelet on her wrist. It broke apart and the shattered fragments rained down on the mourners below.

Ulquiorra scowled. "Your friends may be able to see you, but I will kill you all if I have to. Aizen instructed me to kill you and I shall."

Eve glanced down at her friends and swooped over the coffin. "Help!" She cried.

The service stopped and all eyes fell on her. Eyes widened and jaws dropped as everyone recognised the little girl who stood before them.

"Eve?"

"Impossible!"

"She's here? Why?"

They rushed over but some kept their distance, noticing the uninvited guest approaching them. Ichigo glared up at the ghostly intruder in the sky. He looked around anxiously and then went into Soul reaper mode, drawing his massive sword.

"Who are you?" Ichigo demanded.

Ulquiorra stared at him in silence, lost to his own intentions.

"Hey!" Ichigo snapped. "Answer me!"

Ulquiorra studied the boy up and down. "A sword as tall as a man. Bright orange hair. So you were the one they call Ichigo Kurosaki."

"What? How do you know my name?" Ichigo tensed.

"Lord Aizen spoke of you. He said you were dangerous, but I see no evidence of such." Ulquiorra frowned. "You are merely trash."

"You bastard!" Ichigo leapt into the air and brought his heavy sword down on his foe. Ulquiorra caught the blade in his bare hands much to Ichigo's surprise. "What the...?"

Ulquiorra poked Ichigo in the chest and a bright green glow emanated from his fingertip. Ichigo stared at it as the ball of green energy grew in size until-

"Die." Ulquiorra closed his eyes as the explosion went off.

Ichigo's eyes widened as the explosion threw him into the ground, creating a deep crater. He coughed violently and gazed down at his unscathed torso. He looked up to Ulquiorra who standing his ground against a new opponent. The new warrior was not a shinigami and he brandished a large handgun rather than a sword. Ichigo's jaw dropped.

"Train!"

"He is not Train." A voice hissed in his ear. Ichigo backed away from the silver-haired stranger who began to chuckle softly. "That is the Black Cat! He is the greatest warrior the world has ever known. Nothing can stand against him!"

Ichigo opened his mouth to argue but the man raised a slender finger and nodded towards the battle. "Just watch."

Train yanked his arm outwards, the momentum throwing Ulquiorra back a few feet. Train glanced over his shoulder down to the stranger. They did not exchange words, both knowing what the gesture meant.

Ichigo watched on as the man took a katana out of his coat. He took it out of its scabbard and hurled the bare sword over to Train who caught it with one hand. He twirled it around in a skilful display and then pointed the blade down and to the side.

Ulquiorra studied his opponent with interest. "A gun and a sword...You may be well versed in both, but wielding both weapons at once is a setback to even the greatest of fighters. A shame you will learn this through death."

The Black Cat glared at his foe and lifted his gun. He fired three shots and then followed them. As Ulquiorra cut through the bullets Train darted to one side and swung his sword in a wide horizontal arc. Ulquiorra back flipped over the sword and thrust his blade at his foe. Train leapt back to a safe distance and paused.

"You were right...I was a fool to fight with two weapons at once. I'll just have to pick one." Train put his gun away and charged, sword raised. The two warriors' blades clashed in a rain of sparks and both were knocked back by the immense strength behind the hit.

As they regained their bearings they charged in again. Ulquiorra used his bare hands to block Train's hit and then countered with a swift slash. Train responded with incredible reflexes, ducking under the blow and lashing out with his leg.

Ulquiorra blocked the kick with a bare forearm and stomped on Train's head. The Black Cat toppled over and Ulquiorra prepared to deal the finishing blow. A stern frown remained affixed to his face, the never changing, cold, dead eyes glaring at his opponent.

"Be proud. You actually survived this long. Most who dare challenge me never make it more than a few steps, yet you lasted a whole minute." Even though his tone was as lifeless as ever, the taunt was still effective in sowing the seeds of doubt.

Enraged, Train retaliated but he was brought back down into the dirt before he could get up. Ulquiorra sighed. "You truly desire death, don't you? Is it so you can join your friend?"

Trains eyes narrowed. "You bastard!" He thrashed about but he was pinned down. His sword had been kicked aside and now lay out of reach. All he had left was Hades, his trusty gun. In a blur of movement he grabbed Ulquiorra's leg and lifted him into the air. With a mighty roar he hurled his foe into a gravestone and immediately reached for his gun. He glanced off three simultaneous shots and then dive-rolled over to his sword. With both weapons once again in his grasp he charged for the stunned opponent.

Ulquiorra gazed down at the three tiny bullet-wounds in his chest. He seemed completely disinterested in them. He waited for Train to meet him and when there were only a few steps between them he weaved to the side of the sword thrust and then drew his arm back, flattening his hand.

Train's sword ran through the gravestone and got lodged deep within. He tried to yank it out, but it was the short lapse in defence that sealed his fate. Ulquiorra's hand drilled through his stomach as if it were a blade. Train let go of the sword and fell to his knees.

"It's over. You were a fool to challenge me from the start." Ulquiorra twisted his arm, causing Train excruciating pain. "I shall ensure your death shall be swift, but the pain shall last a million lifetimes for not only shall you lose this battle, but you shall lose the girl you hold dear. And as a final insult...You shall lose this world." The pallid figure wrenched his arm out and gazed at the hypnotic spray of blood which erupted from the wounds.

Train fell onto his back and stared up at the clouds. He wanted to move, to at least see what was happening, but he was paralysed. All he could do was listen to the screams while watching the fluffy white clouds drift by.

"Train!" Ichigo bunched his fists and dashed towards Ulquiorra. The stranger beside him went to the aid of the Black Cat.

The by-standers all panicked. They didn't know what to do. To some, they could not even see the ghostly killer. Those that could were trapped, unable to decide on the course of action.

Ichigo had made up his mind already. He would save Eve and protect everyone here no matter what!

Ulquiorra flash stepped behind Eve and placed a hand on her shoulder. She cried out in alarm but it was of little use. She could feel a burning sensation on her back. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed the green glow.

"Move and I will incinerate you and everyone in this cemetery. Try to attack me and my cero will go off regardless, killing us all. I'm sure you understand now; there is nothing you can do." Ulquiorra's threat was not one to be taken lightly. The enemy was in a league of their own. They were not strong enough to defeat him right now.

The crowd took cautionary steps back, except for one. Ichigo drew his sword and made his way over but he felt several hands holding him back. It was his father and Kisuke Urahara. Their expressions said it all. Ichigo still tried to resist but when he looked around, everyone had the same expression, an admission of defeat and submission...

"Stand down son. We cannot fight him here."

"But-"

"Ichigo." Isshin interrupted. "We will save Eve and Rukia, but now is not the time. Lay down your sword and do as he says."

"But he'll kill her!" Ichigo roared defiantly.

"Ichigo, if you try to attack him he will blow her to pieces! Do you want that? Do you want everyone's efforts to be in vain? Stand down!"

Ichigo opened his mouth again, but he stopped himself from arguing further. He dropped his sword and stared at the ground, unable to look into the eyes of the young girl he was abandoning...Like a lamb to the slaughter...

"Good." Ulquiorra clicked his fingers and a portal opened behind him. He led Eve towards it and then stopped. For a moment he was completely frozen, but slowly he spun back around to face his enemies.

"You have learned a valuable skill in learning when to surrender. You shall do it again when Aizen returns."

Ichigo gritted his teeth but remained silent.

"Do not try to follow me. Eve is destined to die for her failure, an example to the rest of you that damnation is imminent. There is no hope. Hope is merely a human illusion, a scapegoat for your inability to recognise your weaknesses. Your hope is worth less than the dirt at your feet." Ulquiorra stepped into the portal and dragged Eve along behind him.

Eve gazed into the saddened faces of all her friends and frowned. She bowed her head and uttered a single word, one that was like a stake through the heart for each and every one of her friends. She gazed at them for the final time and then headed inside the portal.

With that, she and her captor were gone, leaving the mourners behind. Their already shattered morale had no been further affected by this sudden loss.

Ichigo was released by his father but without the support he fell to his knees. For the second time he had failed to protect the ones he cared for.

Victory seemed further out of reach than ever before now. This new enemy was one beyond anything they had experienced before. Gaichu and his minions were nothing compared to that ghostly foe.

Ichigo dug his fingers into the dirt and dragged them towards his palm, making small trenches in the earth. He was holding back tears. His confidence had been shattered by the encounter. Doubt began to break him down, stripping him of his strength.

"Train! Train! What happened?" It was that weird man from before. He was crouching beside train, trying to lift him up.

"Creed..." The injured cat whispered.

"Your eyes...You've lost the look! Why? You could have killed him! You could have utterly destroyed that creep! Why did you-"

Train sat up, albeit with much pain and discomfort. He gritted his teeth and cursed. "I lost focus. Next time I'll kick his ass! Isn't that right Ichigo?"

Ichigo didn't respond, so Train dragged himself over to the boy and slapped him over the back of the head. "Hey! Answer me!"

Ichigo rose slowly and picked up his sword. "Yes." He spoke in a trembling voice. "The enemy is one we have no hope to defeat...But we don't need hope when we have our resolve. We shall save Eve and Rukia...No, we must save them! If we are to die, then we can die as heroes!"

Train and Ichigo locked swords and smiled. They both could see the underlying fear in each other's eyes, but neither would admit it. They were terrified of the enemy, but the fear of defeat was far stronger, thus driving them to be strong.

They would travel to Hell and back to rescue Eve and Rukia, but firstly they needed some help...

Come on, review. You know you want to.


	7. Abandoned

_**6: Abandoned**_

Sephiria had been expecting Trains arrival. She waited in her office, staring blankly at her sword which was lying on the table. Soon it would be time to use Christ against Aizen, but for now she had to refrain, no matter how much she desired to fight.

The door was pushed open gently. Train stepped in first, followed shortly after by Ichigo The two of them looked unwell. Train was bandaged up like an Egyptian mummy and Ichigo was bruised and scarred all over.

"I was expecting you two, but not like this..." She remarked softly.

Train took a seat across from her and Ichigo followed suit. They both set their gazes on her and it felt like they were searching deep within her soul for the answers they sought after.

"I can guess why you are here, but you came all this way. You might as well say it."

Train nodded curtly. "We wish to attack Aizen immediately. We know you won't give us your full force, but an advance team could be organised to-"

"No." Sephiria cut him off. "The first rule of battle is to not divide your forces. Together we are strong, divided we are weak. Against an opponent such as Aizen we need to face him with our full strength at once."

"But Eve is in grave danger! We don't have any time to spare anymore! If we wait any longer both hostages will die and all our efforts will have been for nothing!" Train rose from his seat, getting more agitated than he had hoped.

Sephiria closed her eyes and sighed. "Sit down Train. Take a deep breath and think about this. We have two options: Rush to save two people at the cost of the entire world or we sacrifice two people to save the entire world. Which one do you think is more appropriate?"

"We can save everyone!" Ichigo roared, slamming his hand on the desk. "Nobody has to die! We can save everyone if you help us!"

"You are living a fool's dream Kurosaki. Not everyone can be saved."

Ichigo clenched his fists and he bowed his head. He did not answer.

Sephiria folded her arms. "You see now. War is not like a fairy tale. There are happy endings, but not for everyone. Good people have to die to achieve peace."

A blur of movement caught her attention and in the blink of an eye Sephiria was staring at the tip of Ichigo's sword, barely an inch from her eyes. The hatred in Ichigo's expression was enough to instil fear into the heart of even the mightiest of soldiers.

"How dare you..." Ichigo whispered.

"I-"

"How dare you?" Ichigo roared, cutting her off. Tears of rage were flowing down his cheeks. "Are you so cold as to abandon a frightened young girl just for the sake of your pride? Are you no better than Aizen?"

"Ichigo!" Train tried to calm his friend but it was to no avail.

"I swear to you...If Eve dies then I will hunt you down and kill you! I will tear your pride to shreds and destroy you! I'll make you feel the pain that Eve felt because of your heartlessness!"

"ICHIGO!" Train punched his companion in the face and watched him drop like a bag of stones. "This is not the way to get help. We can't just wave a sword around and make threats! If we are to save Eve we need to use our heads, not just our swords."

"I feel remorseful for Eve and Rukia's predicament but I will not relinquish any soldiers from their current duty. We are still mobilizing for the coming war and you should do the same. That is all I have to say, farewell Train."

Train helped Ichigo to his feet and they staggered out the door, their morale shaken but not gone. They were already expecting Chronos to be a hindrance so they planned for a back-up plan...

If they couldn't get help then they would just have to burst into Hueco Mundo and get the job done by themselves! But first, they had an old friend to pick up on the way and that was the hard part...

* * *

Deep within Las Noches Aizen sat atop his throne, watching a garganta form right at his feet. The portal opened and Eve was shoved out onto the floor. She landed on all fours, kneeling before Aizen. Ulquiorra stepped out after her, his hands bloody.

"Ulquiorra, you seem distressed. What happened?"

Ulquiorra reached for his eyes and without even blinking plucked it out from the socket. He crushed the sight organ between his pallid fingers, releasing a strange cloud of dust-like particles. They fluttered around Aizen who closed his eyes and nodded.

"I see. So you have met the boy."

"I assume you refer to the Kurosaki boy?" Ulquiorra asked, completely unfazed by the gaping hole in his head. "He was a miserable opponent. He stood no chance against me."

"In his current state that may be true, but Kurosaki Ichigo is a Vizard. He has harnessed powers not far from yours Ulquiorra. I want you to be careful around him. And as for that human assassin, Train...I have a suspicion about him. There is a hidden power within him. Do not underestimate him either."

"And as for this traitorous little wretch?" Ulquiorra kicked Eve and sent her sprawling on the floor. She looked to be in a terrible state, but the worst was not yet over.

"I shall leave it up to you. Just as long as you don't kill her. I can still have a use for her." Aizen sat back and grinned. "That is all for now. Please take Eve back to her room and issue your punishment. "

Ulquiorra bowed. "Thank you Lord Aizen." He then grabbed Eve's wrist and dragged her out of the room.

Eve said nothing as she was slammed into the stone walls on the way. She didn't want Ulquiorra to have the pleasure of hearing her cries so she tried to remain as quiet as possible. She almost lost her composure when she was thrown into the back wall of her cell. She whimpered quietly as her bruised and beaten body collapsed in a heap.

Ulquiorra glared at her with the inhuman eyes of his. His perpetual scowl was ever present and his black lips parted to utter something in his cold, expressionless tone.

"You have disobeyed Lord Aizen and myself. You shall pay for your insolence. I may not be able to kill you, but that does not hinder me in any way. I shall merely break you down until you are begging for death. You shall experience pain unlike anything you have ever imagined. You shall be punished."

Eve hid the fear that gnawed away at every fibre of her body. She folded her arms and dug her nails into her shaking limbs to stop herself from shaking. Fear was what he wanted. If she did not show the slightest fear he would lose interest...Hopefully.

* * *

In the room next-door, Rukia leaned against the wall watching sand blow through the window and drifting down to the floor in front of her. She had been locked up for what had felt like years, but surely that was just her mind playing tricks on her. The inane sheltered life she was forced to live in captivity was beginning to take its toll on her.

She could overhear loud noises in the next room. It sounded almost like screaming...Soft, feminine screams, drowned out by the harsh lashings of a cold male tongue. It was almost as if an angered parent was taking his rage out on his daughter...But such a situation could not be happening in Hueco Mundo, the realm of hollows.

Rukia dwelled on the possible situations but it was some time until she remembered she was not the only captive in Las Noches. Eve had been taken as well...

The cries were coming from her. Someone was hurting Eve. Rukia knew she had to help out the poor young girl, but her options were limited. She was trapped here, within a thick, stone walled cell.

She tried knocking on the walls, but the only result was sore fists. Rukia then resorted to yelling back but no-one answered her. The voices in the next room quietened for a moment but returned shortly after. It was hopeless.

Rukia had no other choice but to listen to every spine-chilling scream and tortured squeal as Eve was attacked. She cradled her head in her hands and repeated the same thought over and over within her mind…

_Ichigo...Save me...Save us! _

* * *

Urahara waited on the front porch of his shop. He already knew what his customers would ask for. He could already identify them both. He had been waiting for a while now.

Train and Ichigo arrived on his doorstep looking tired and exhausted. They approached him slowly, Ichigo gradually stepping out in front. He got down on one knee and clasped his hands together.

"Urahara...Soul Society has abandoned us. Chronos have abandoned us...Please...Help us save Rukia and Eve!" Ichigo was begging. He was on his hands and knees by the time he finished and he was on the verge of tears.

Urahara placed his paper fan in front of his face, shielding all but his eyes. "You wish to go to Hueco Mundo. I already know that. I also know how to get there."

Ichigo's face lit up.

"However, I cannot condone you going by yourselves. You need more than two people to do what you wish to do."

Train rose to his feet. "Creed Diskenth has vowed to fight by my side. We also have an idea..."

"Sven?" Urahara spoke for them. "His soul is most likely wandering around Soul Society as we speak. Finding him shouldn't be too difficult. But still...Four of you are not much. The Gotei 13 won't be making their move for some time yet..."

"Do not fear Urahara-san." Ichigo grinned. "If we are truly destined to die...Then we will just have to take them all down with us." His facade betrayed the rampant fear that tore at his mind.

Kisuke could see through his false smile, but he knew better than to refuse them. Their resolve was strong enough. It would be their guiding light through the perpetual darkness of Hueco Mundo. It would give them strength when they were weak and forever fuel the burning passion within their hearts.

Urahara folded up his fan and bowed his head. "Very well. I shall take you there. But first, we must go to Soul Society..."

* * *

SEREITEI

Two guards stood by the large senkaimon. The large courtyard was bare aside from the great gates which led to the World of the Living. They were beginning to tire of their boring job, standing guard for an intruder which had never arrived.

Their rest was interrupted when a blinding white light spilled out of the gates and three silhouettes appeared within the beam of light.

The two guards took up their spears and pointed them at the intruders.

"Hey! Ryoka! Stop right there!" The first guard roared.

The second one was unable to help. He was already knocked out. The first guard turned to watch his partner fall but before he could even scream a blade was pressed against his throat. He stared into the icy blue eyes of his opponent and became paralysed with fear. The scream died in his throat which was suddenly sliced open. Blood erupted from his neck and he let out a rasping gurgle as he dropped to the hard ground.

The three visitors walked to the centre of the courtyard and looked around. Two of them kneeled before their leader who had frosted blue hair and a venomous smile.

"Where to now, Grimmjow?" One of the subordinates asked. He had long blonde hair and a small horn on the side of his head.

"Yes, master Grimmjow. Where is the target?" This one was tall and thin, with cropped dark hair hidden under a tall white mask.

Grimmjow grinned evilly and spread his arms wide. "Our target...Is all around us! Ha ha ha ha!"

Soul Society is under attack? train and Ichigo need to get to Sven before the enemy finds him first! Will they make it? Find out in the next chapter!

Now please review. It can only benefit us both. 


	8. Confrontation

I really must apologise for such an agonisingly long wait. I know it's been many months since the last update but it won't happen again. to those who are still reading this I thank you for bearing with me during such a long hiatus. Now please enjoy and don't forget to review!

**7: Confrontation**

The three intruders scanned the area around them at a land ripe for the taking. Their leader spread his arms wide and grinned from ear to ear. "Our target is all around us!" He cackled like a hyena and turned to his followers who nodded obediently.

"Destroy everything in sight! Cut down anyone in your way! Bring Sereitei to its knees!" Grimmjow was getting lost in his homicidal excitement. His shoulders were heaving from his overjoyed panting, like a dog when a large bone is dangled before their nose.

"Ah yes, but master Grimmjow, Lord Aizen gave us an order. Shouldn't we do as instructed first?" The tall one asked. His narrow eyes centred squarely on the mentally unstable commander of the group.

Grimmjow rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "I guess you are right, Shawlong. We came here to kill that human...We might as well finish him off first, and then we can play for as long as we want!"

"Excellent." Shawlong bowed.

"Where to now then?" The blonde warrior asked.

Grimmjow looked off into space and pointed to his side. "That way. I can sense him. Let's go."

The trio set off on their hunt; meanwhile the citizens of Sereitei were still oblivious to the danger looming within their own borders.

* * *

Sven woke to the bustling sounds of life. His eyes drifted open sluggishly and at first the world was a blur but after a few blinks he made out he was stuck in a small cramped room. There was at least five others sleeping in here with him but on the other side of the wall he could hear others snoring.

He rose to his feet and stumbled over to the doorway. He stepped out into the bright sunlight and discovered something quite wrong.

Everything around him was ancient. The busy street looked like one from hundreds of years ago and even the people rushing about were dressed in traditional clothing.

"Is this Soul Society?" Sven asked, rubbing his sore eyes. "Either that or I smoked something really bad...And I haven't had a cigarette in way too long..."

"Here's one." A gentle male voice came from behind.

Sven whirled around to face a man who looked to be in his sixties but for all he knew could have been hundreds of years old (And his fashion sense seemed to support it.) The man offered a cigar. Sven took it and nodded in appreciation.

He patted down his pockets in search of a light but found none. In fact he didn't even find pockets. On closer inspection he was wearing the same feudal Japanese clothing everyone else had.

Sven began to panic. "Hey! Where's my suit? And my hat? Oh god, my hat!"

"You're dead." The man explained. "Once you die you come here, Soul Society. Everyone ends up dressed like this. Trust me; I've been here for a hundred years and everyday someone like you asks me where his suit and tie went."

Sven looked around while the man spoke. "So...This is it then?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, no fluffy clouds, no wings, no wishes...Is this really it?" Sven frowned. "Kind of a let down. Those pious people knocking on my door every morning are liars."

"This is not heaven. Heaven is just an ideology, but in the right frame of mind this is heaven."

"Heaven was back when I was alive. I was happy then. I had friends, a job, a life...And a hat." Sven sighed. "Now I'm alone, with nothing but the shirt on my back." He shook his head. "Wait a minute, this isn't even a shirt! Dammit! I really do have nothing!"

"Don't be like that. We may be isolated from our loved ones, but we find new family in those around us."

"You mean like adoption?" Sven dead panned.

"Kind of. You see this world can be as awful as you see it or you can take things well and make life comfortable again. I once thought like you, disappointed by the losses we've suffered. But in my time I've learned that this is merely a second chance at life, with new family, new friends and new culture."

"Huh?"

"Well, there is not any technology in these parts. Those in Sereitei sometimes create items similar to those in the World of the Living but for the most part Soul Society is truly like an ancient Japanese city. Kids don't play video games and hot-heads don't drive cars. It's a step back in time."

"I can tell..." Sven muttered. "So where do the shinigami live?"

"Shinigami? So you wish to become one of them huh? They live beyond that great wall over there." The old man pointed over the roof of a hut to a massive stone wall. "Over there is the Court of Pure Souls. That's where all the shinigami live. But they aren't always kind to us citizens of Rukongai unless we are rich or nobles."

"I've fought beside them. They should recognise me." Sven rose to his feet. "So how do I get in?"

The old man made a face as if it were a death threat. "You can't just go in! There are guards all over the wall and they will kill on sight sometimes. We stay away from them and they stay away from us mostly.

"Well if I ask nicely they may let me enter. It can't be harder than a nightclub."

"Trust me; you don't want to anger the shinigami. They are ruthless!" the old man seemed genuinely afraid, yet the shinigami Sven had encountered were not that fearsome...Well Zaraki Kenpachi might have been an exception...

Sven chuckled to himself. "Hey, I've fought side by side with the captains in my old life. I thought I'd get a guard of honour or something when I got here. Surely they will recognise me and let me in?"

The old man shook his head but Sven let it slide off his back like a drop of water.

"Whatever. I'm gonna try anyway. Can't do too much harm can it?" Sven took another long drag on his cigar and then put it out. "Thanks." He waved goodbye and strolled off towards the great, imposing wall.

The old man bowed his head and looked away, as if trying to forget the man he had just met.

* * *

The wise old captain commander of Soul Society cast his sombre gaze across Sereitei. He could feel something deeply unsettling stirring within Rukongai. He could not recognise the odd reiatsu, somewhere lost between the realms of shinigami and hollow, as if the two had been mashed together into one being...

Yammamoto suddenly remembered an incident, a terrible event in Soul Society's past...A dark chapter that had ended in the exile of Urahara Kisuke and a number of others. A horrible occurrence, one which resulted in the hollowfication of several high ranking warriors. The Hogyoku had caused that disaster...Surely Aizen could use it to do the same to hollows...

The old man bowed his head and summoned a messenger. "Send scouts from second company to district 40 in Rukongai. Find out what the disturbing presence is and if necessary take action against the intruders."

The messenger bowed. "Yes sir!" He disappeared and another took his place.

The old man turned to the new messenger. "Instruct all captains to be on high alert for intruders. Have them hold their ground and set up defensive positions in case of attack!"

"Understood." The second messenger darted off across Sereitei to relay the commands.

Yammamoto returned to his viewing post on his balcony, high above the Court of Pure Souls. "Aizen...You are making your move already? What are you planning?"

The question echoed in the wind, but was never answered.

* * *

Sven approached the huge wall. He felt physically drained just standing near it. A guard sat perched atop the wall and he dropped down before Sven in what would be an impossibly high drop for a mortal, but easy for a soul.

The shinigami placed his hands on his scabbard and prepared to draw his sword. "State your business! What are you doing?"

Sven raised his hands in defence. "I'm not up to anything; I just want to see the captains."

The shinigami cocked his head. "A lowly commoner like you wants to see the captains? Don't make me laugh! Why would they care to see you?" He burst out in laughter and doubled over. "Do you understand who the captains are? They are far to busy to deal with your trivial qualms."

Sven cursed under his breath. "I fought alongside them. I believe they would like to see me."

"You? Fighting with the captains? Ha! I'm a twentieth seat and I've never fought with my captain! As if a dog from Rukongai would actually have even _seen _a captain before! Ha!"

Sven scowled. "Look buddy! I-"

The guard suddenly disappeared in a cloud of crimson rain. Sven looked to his side and twenty metres away lay the lifeless body o the guard, a sword embedded deep within his skull.

"W-What the...?"

Far in the distance a single figure approached him. Unlike the other shinigami he was clad in white. Striking blue hair blew across his face in the strong winds, but as the sky-coloured strands whipped around Sven noticed something on the lower half of his face...A skeletal set of jaws.

The stranger vanished in the blink of an eye and reappeared beside the dead shinigami. He grabbed the sword and wrenched it free from the man's head, resulting in the unfortunate man's head to split apart from the overwhelming force.

The warrior flicked the blood from his blade and set his gaze on Sven. "Sven Volfied right? My name's Grimmjow and I'm here to kill you!"

Sven didn't need any more warning than that. He turned tail and ran as fast as his legs would allow him. He knew his opponent would catch up easily, but surely amidst a crowd of people he would be able to hide or slink away...Or so he hoped.

"You wanna play tag? Then let's play tag!" Grimmjow roared. He thrust his hands forward and a glowing orb of red energy formed there. It then erupted outwards in a searing blast which incinerated buildings and the citizens within.

Sven rolled aside from the path of destruction and tried to crawl under a pile of rubble. He struggled to control his erratic breathing as he listened to Grimmjow's thunderous footsteps looming closer and closer.

"You must not be very smart." Grimmjow taunted. "Surely you knew that I can rely on more than sight."

Sven's eyes widened at the sight of Grimmjow's sword piercing the chunk of stone above him, coming within a hairs breadth of his face. Sven stared at his terrified reflection and found himself unable to move.

Grimmjow was emitting a powerful reiatsu, so strong it was physically painful just to be so close to him.

Grimmjow's mocking laughter seemed to hit him like fists of stone. "I could kill you just by standing here, but where is the fun in that? I much prefer to watch my prey squirm. I like to hear them cry out for mercy. I like to sniff the blood in the air!"

_What the hell is this guy? He's fucking crazy! What does he want me for? What did I do?_

"Hey! What's that? Oh, you've got friends in high places it seems. They brought out the punishment force!"

Sven didn't understand. He didn't know what the punishment force was but he could at least grasp that he was being rescued. Still, he didn't expect it to be an easy one. Grimmjow was incredibly dangerous. He definitely had the abilities of a captain, if not more so.

Through a gap in two shattered timber frames Sven could see row upon row of men dressed like ninja. They surged as one unit, trying to take down the blue-haired menace but in the very next instant half of them were nothing more than dismembered corpses littered around the vicious fighter.

Grimmjow let out another bout of insane laughter, throwing his hands to the sky in twisted joy. "Ah! How fun it is! I haven't been this excited in a long time! I'm gonna enjoy this!"

The rest of the ninja charged. They too met a grisly fate. Sven couldn't help but wince at the ease in which Grimmjow executed so many warriors. It shouldn't have been possible.

Grimmjow scanned the battlefield and frowned. "Oh, is that it? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to hunt the rest down myself...But first." Grimmjow gazed down at the rubble. He kicked a chunk of stone aside and found Sven cowering beneath him. A wicked smile crossed his face and he raised his sword high, ready for the kill.

_**"Do you want to die? Or do you want to live?" **_An unfamiliar voice whispered in the back of Sven's mind. He looked around, almost expecting someone to be sitting beside him.

_What?_

_**"Will you live or die? It is your choice Sven. Do you not wish to save Eve?"**_

_Of course! Eve is everything to me! I can't let her down! _

_**"Then you must fight, but the enemies you face are incredibly strong. You must become stronger to be able to survive. Sven, I am the one to give you that strength."**_

_Who are you? How did you get in my head?_

_**"I will answer another time, for now cry my name to the heavens Sven. Roar with all you have!"**_

Sven stared up into Grimmjow's eyes and scowled. He pushed himself up off his feet and rose to be level with his foe. Grimmjow was suddenly startled by the unexpected surge of courage. However it did not take long for him to regain his composure and prepare to slice Sven in two.

"Collect his soul, Shokin Kasegi!"


	9. Bounty Hunter

It's been way too long since I last updated this story. I'm sorry about the long waits but I thank everyone who has been patient during these long waits. I hope you enjoy this chapter...Hopefully it was worth the wait. 

_**8: Bounty Hunter**_

Sven flinched when a blinding white light surrounded him. He thought he had been tricked, that the phrase would actually kill him, but then the light cleared and he was still standing there...Only this time with a briefcase.

Grimmjow stared at it as if it were a bomb. "What the hell? Where did that come from?"

Sven would have answered if he knew, but honestly he was just as stumped as his opponent. He too stared at the suitcase. It looked a lot like his old one; it even had the secret triggers and buttons all over it. But this case was different. It was emanating some kind of energy...

_**Surprised? This is your zanpakuto Sven. Go ahead, open it.**_

Cautiously Sven undid the latches and opened the case. Inside he found a stylish-looking handle. It almost looked like an oversized switch-blade, packed snugly within velvet padding. He stared at it in stunned awe. His old suitcase had a lot of strange weapons hidden away inside but never had he placed anything like this in there. This was all too strange for his liking. It had to be a dream, his subconscious keeping him occupied while he died.

_**Draw your weapon. Your opponent will not stand around forever. **_

Sven set down the case and took out the handle. He pressed a small latch near the guard and a shining steel blade slid out, extending to the length of a sword. As soon as his eyes caught his own shocked reflection he couldn't help but laugh. He swung the sword around a few times to get used to its weight and then he held it out before himself defensively.

The blue-haired demon grinned once more at the glint of steel. "So, you can fight huh? This will be fun!" Grimmjow drew his sword and charged without a moment's hesitation.

Sven panicked instantly. He had never fought with a sword; in fact that was probably why he chose to use a gun...So he could kill from a distance before he would have to rely on close-quarters-combat. Now he had no trusty pistol to help him and even if he did, bullets would probably be like pebbles against this psychopath. There was no choice anymore; he would have to swing a sword for his own survival.

Despite having no idea what he was doing he managed to block a heavy downwards swing. He struck his blade out to catch that of his opponent and then crouched down to better sustain the impact. Amazingly it worked and the crazed swordsman was knocked back by the jarring impact. As he staggered back Sven slashed madly at his gut, but failed to get within range. Grimmjow stepped back and thrust his knee into Sven's face, hurling him back into the rubble.

"Ha! You got lucky then. I won't let you block next time. Now get up and charge at me! Let's see what you've got!" Grimmjow was dripping with ferocity, like a wolf over a wounded deer. He could smell weakness and it drove him mad.

Sven cursed under his breath and took a shaky step forward.

_Ok Sven. Think for a second. This guy is stronger than you and he obviously knows how to handle a sword better...But there has to be a way to beat him. I wonder...Is he injured? No. He's fitter than I was before I started smoking. Damn! Well I guess I've just got to trick him then..._

Sven darted to the left and Grimmjow followed him with his hawk-like gaze. Sven circled around and moved in for a strike. Grimmjow only just barely tensed up but it was enough for his trick to work. As the mad warrior reached out to defend himself Sven dived to the side, out of Grimmjow's reach and instead at his feet. Before he could look down Sven drove his blade deep into his leg, piercing the flesh of his thigh and slicing down towards his knee.

Grimmjow punched Sven in the back of the head and booted him in the gut, sending him rolling away from him. While the sweeper coughed up blood Grimmjow examined his wound and tested his wounded leg. It hurt to walk now and he had to limp over to his foe.

"That actually hurt...But you know you're gonna have to pay for that right?"

Sven swung his sword to keep him at bay, but the demon caught the sword with his bare hand. Rather than take the time to be stunned Sven let go of the sword and dived out of striking distance.

_Dammit! He's too strong. Even with that wounded leg I can't beat him. I can't risk dying here. I need to live on...So I can see Eve just one more time..._

"Come on!" Grimmjow snapped. "We aren't done yet!"

Sven didn't look back. He just ran as fast his beaten body would allow. Unfortunately, his opponent wasn't in the mood for playing tag. The madman swung Sven's sword around in a circle several times and then released his grip, flinging the incredibly sharp blade across the battlefield and into the unfortunate sweeper's spine.

Sven froze mid-step and his feet crumbled beneath him as if made of rubber. He collapsed to the cold hard ground and stared at the crimson pool spreading around him. He couldn't stop blinking, as if he had sand in his eye. The pain was excruciating and every single breath was torture. He coughed violently and blood oozed out between his teeth, filling his mouth and spilling down his lips.

"Ha ha! Gotcha!" Grimmjow called out mockingly, his laughter like poison. He limped casually towards his prey, after all Sven was trapped. The deer was caught in a net now, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. No more defences...Unless…

Out of the corner of his eye Sven noticed his suitcase. If it was the same as his old case...It just might be able to save his life. If he was wrong, he would die. However Sven did not want to surrender just yet.

He remembered how much Eve suffered to protect him. He remembered that sweet little girl, her beautiful golden hair, as soft as silk. Her hypnotic gaze, her innocent little smile. She was everything to him. She was like the daughter he never had and he loved her dearly. That was why he would never let the darkness take her away. He would reunite with her no matter how much pain it caused him. He would endure the worst just to see her again, just to hear her voice.

Sven extended a hand towards the briefcase, but it was just out of reach. He inched closer and closer, grunting from the effort of pushing his leaden body towards it.

Grimmjow closed in on him, limped awkwardly, but still gaining ground fast. "Still trying to crawl away? You're like a little beetle scurrying away from me. But why don't you just stand your ground and use your stinger?"

Sven reached out and he felt one finger only just brush against its cold casing. He tried to grip it but he was still too far away.

"Hold on now, I ain't letting you go on holidays!" Grimmjow drove his blade down through the top of Sven's hand, pinning it to the ground, only centimetres away from the case.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!"

Sven's hand spasmed uncontrollably, only making the pain worse. The blade was stuck deep in the earth. There was no way he could take it out. He was gone now.

"Ha ha ha! What now? Let's see you run away this time!"

"I...I can't..." Sven murmured to himself.

"Damn right! So how about you try and take out my other leg now? Come on!" The beast taunted, laughing like a feral hyena.

Sven closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he looked up again he had a grim little smile, "That's some good advice." he joked, digging his fingers into the soil. He hauled himself forward, screaming in agony. As soon as his fingers wrapped around the handle of his suitcase Sven dragged it towards his chest and spun it around to face his opponent. Then he pressed a button on the underside of the handle. A section of the case slid away and a gun barrel poked out. When he pressed the button again a great blinding burst of fire erupted from the barrel and a stream of bullets chewed through Grimmjow's centre mass.

Sven roared, holding the trigger down as hard as he could, mowing Grimmjow down with an entire clipful of armour piercing rounds.

The blue-haired demon lay still, even though his chest was still rising and falling. It had not killed him, but it would keep him down for a while. Meanwhile Sven gently drifted out of consciousness and passed out.

* * *

Grimmjow's comrades stopped their search and scanned the horizon. Shawlong looked to the blonde warrior and frowned. "It appears Grimmjow has been attacked."

"What should we do?" Illfort asked.

Shawlong grasped his chin and hummed. "If our leader is incapacitated then there is a warrior out there who is above our capabilities. We should withdraw for now and call off the search."

"What? Why don't we just burn down one of these villages and draw the enemy here while we search elsewhere?"

Shawlong sighed. "We do not want to draw unwanted attention upon ourselves. This mission was to be carried out without being detected. It seems master Grimmjow has lost sight of that."

"Damn. I guess we should go find him and bring him back for Lord Aizen. He would be angry if Grimmjow were to be lost so soon." Illfort turned to leave when he spotted someone's shadow behind them. He whirled around to face a young man with odd, feline eyes.

"Excuse me, could you help me find a friend? His name is Sven Volfied."

The two warriors glanced at each other curiously and nodded. Shawlong stepped forward and bowed. "It is my duty to aid the wandering souls here. I shall help you find your friend...Sven was it?"

"Yes. Thanks so much. I really appreciate it." Train walked alongside them through the empty streets. "So...Why are your uniforms white and everyone else's is black?"

The two looked to each other and Shawlong conjured a passable lie. "We are guards. Those on guard duty wear different colours so that they can be easily identified in a crowd."

"Oh...I didn't know that." Train murmured.

"New here huh?" Illfort asked casually.

"Well sort of. I mean I'm not even dead. A friend of mine called Kisuke Urahara created a portal here so that I could find Sven. He came with me but we split up to make the search easier." Train explained innocently, oblivious to the villainous creatures he was befriending.

"You are in good company then. Urahara is famous around here." Shawlong stated calmly.

"Yeah. I was told he was once a captain but he was banished for something..." Train frowned. "I wonder what he could have done to deserve such punishment."

The trio travelled in silence after that. The plan was simply to act awkward and offended to stop Train asking any more questions. For now they just had to find Sven and then slaughter both of the foolish mortals who dared tread into the affairs of the dead.

They soon discovered a village in ruins. The buildings were decimated and the ground torn up as if a bomb had gone off there. There were corpses all over the place and amidst it all, Grimmjow, leaning against a large chunk of stone. His chest was horribly scarred and dried blood had congealed over a terrible series of wounds. He faced his minions and grinned.

Train's eyes widened at the sight of the wounded warrior. "What the hell happened to you?"

Grimmjow ignored the question and faced the Black Cat with a scowl. "Who are you?"

"Uh, my name is Train Heartnett."

Shawlong bowed before his master. "He is searching for a friend named Sven Volfied. I suggest we help him."

"No need." Grimmjow snarled. "I already found him!" He lunged forward and grabbed Train by the throat. The former assassin struggled to push Grimmjow back and felt his eyes starting to roll back in his skull. In a fit of panic he smashed his gun Hades into the monster's head.

Train grasped his throat and coughed. "What is wrong with you? Where is Sven?"

Illfort stepped between the two and pointed his blade at the assassin. "Ha! You don't get it do you? We aren't shinigami. Are you really that dumb? Ha! You don't deserve to die by master Grimmjow's hand. I'll deal with you myself!"

Train backed away and loaded his gun. "You bastards! What are you then?"

"We are arrancar." Shawlong explained. "Were you not at all curious about our masks? Your failure to differentiate between the strength of an arrancar and a shinigami is rather insulting to us. We shall have to punish you for such insolence."

Train cursed and stood his ground, despite being outnumbered three to one.

_Damn! How could I have been so stupid? There's no way I can take on three of these guys at once. The one with blue hair...He's strong...Very strong. I had better be careful around him._

"Enough talk! Die!" Illfort charged, thrusting his sword out towards Train's throat. The well-trained assassin ducked beneath the blow and drove his knee into the blonde warrior's gut. Illfort coughed violently and doubled over leaving him prone to being hit again. Train pistol whipped him and then roundhouse kicked him, sending Illfort spinning off into a pile of rubble.

Shawlong raised his sword high and rushed in to attack but Train caught sight of him and responded quickly. He raised his gun, ready to block but then Shawlong vanished.

_Shunpo? Dammit! Where is he?_

The glint of steel caught his eye and Train whirled around to face his attacker and block, just before his scalp was sliced clean off. He stumbled back from the force of the blow and struggled to regain his footing, especially when Shawlong stepped forward and continued his offensive. Train was getting pushed into a corner now. He felt his back collide with the stone wall and he cursed at his own misfortune. He couldn't manoeuvre around Shawlong's attacks properly anymore and he felt the cold bite of steel quite a few times.

Train gritted his teeth and ducked down low, avoiding a vicious stab from his foe. The blade sank into the stone and remained stuck there for a moment. Train took the opportunity to shove Shawlong back and then using the sword embedded in the wall as a foothold, launched himself high into the air, somersaulting across the battlefield and landing in a crouch several metres away.

Shawlong and Illfort both stared at their opponent, who now wielded a shining katana. Train grinned at them and charged.

Please review. 


	10. Duel

**9: Duel**

Train raced off towards the awaiting enemy and lunged, swinging the sword in a high arc culminating in a heavy downward slice which threw Shawlong off-guard and forced him to stagger back, giving Train the time to bring his sword back around in a horizontal slash, clipping the flat of Illfort's own sword and ending in a deadlock. The two pushed against their weapons, trying to overpower the other and it was Illfort who won, shoving Train back and launching a counter-attack.

Train side-stepped and caught Illfort's sword arm with one hand, while with the other driving his sword up through his side and burying it deep into his flesh. Illfort cried out in agony and struck Train with his fists. The Black Cat wrenched his blade free of the confines of his opponent's rib-cage and thrust it forward towards his heart.

Illfort sluggishly stepped aside and brought his sword up towards Train's throat. As the blade inched closer to his neck Train only just managed to duck under it and then dived forwards out of the way of Illfort's counter strike.

Shawlong now returned to the battle and hacked at the troublesome Black Cat, but well-honed reflexes allowed him to jump back in time to avoid a painful death. Shawlong quickly recovered and swung his blade in an upwards arc, only just missing Train's chin. He cursed at his failed attack and launched a furious offensive, striking madly at him. The two fought on for a while as Illfort caught his breath and concentration.

The two feuding warriors were unable to best one another and ended up both being breathless and only slightly wounded. They stood several paces apart, both panting heavily. Train shifted his grip on his sword so that he held it in his right hand only and then took out his gun with the left. He stood with his sword arm bent towards his opposite shoulder, with the blade pointing out to his opponent and his gun held out straight in front of him.

Shawlong closed his eyes and flash stepped behind Train. With lightning fast reflexes folded his gun-wielding hand back so that the barrel faced behind him. Then he opened fire, sending a bullet straight through Shawlong's shoulder. The point-blank shot did enough damage to throw Shawlong off his pursuit for a while and Train shifted his focus back on Illfort who had taken up a fighting stance. He opened his mouth to speak but Train didn't want to wait around any longer and so he put a bullet in his head.

Illfort's jaw went slack and he started to fall back, blood spewing forth from his mouth and his ruptured forehead. Before he hit the ground Train dashed over and lanced him through with his sword. Illfort gave one last agonised scream before he went still.

Train quickly drew his sword out and prepared for an enraged Shawlong to strike, but instead he was bowing to his master who had now taken up his sword and entered the fray. The blue-haired demon was fearsome to look at. His cold blue eyes and wicked grin, mixed with the monstrous, bony set of jaws that adorned his face like a terrifying ornament. Coupled with his bloodied and scarred body he was utterly horrifying.

Train felt a chill down his spine as Grimmjow took a step towards him.

"Amazing! You took down Illfort with ease! You must be stronger than you look! Face me and show me the strength of mortals!" Grimmjow held out his sword and assumed a fighting stance. "Come! Fight me!"

Train hesitated and Grimmjow grew angry. He howled like a madman and took the initiative himself, racing across the battlefield with unimaginable speed. Train was barely able to trace his movements but worst of all was his strength. With one swing, even being blocked, Train felt the jarring impact through his bones and dropped his sword as his fingers went numb. He stepped back but Grimmjow had already crossed over to him and backhanded him. Train was flung across the battlefield and immediately after he hit the ground he felt Grimmjow's stomp on him with the force of an elephant.

"Are you serious? You took down Illfort and yet you can't even block one hit? How pathetic! I should kill you right here and now, but I'm bored you see. Sven managed to slip away from me and I can't be bothered looking for him right now so I'm going to have to settle for you. Since I need entertaining I'm gonna see how much pain you can take before you die. Doesn't that sound fun?" Grimmjow laughed manically. "So, here's the rules. Basically," Grimmjow drove his sword into Train's thigh and twisted it. Train cried out in agony. "I hurt you," He grabbed Train by the hair and slammed his head down hard into the earth. He then poked him in the eyes. "and you cry like a little bitch! Got it?" Train tried to get up but Grimmjow threw a trio of thunderous punches straight to the face. Train went limp for a while, staring dazedly up at his foe.

"Master Grimmjow shall I resume the search?" Shawlong asked from aside.

"No," Grimmjow snarled. "I want you to stick around. Sven is mine and I won't let you finish him off before I get my revenge!"

Train's eyes narrowed. Grimmjow smirked. "That's right. Your little friend Sven riddled me full of holes! So now uncle Grimmjow is really pissed and he wants to repay him for what he's done!" He started to strangle his victim, closing his airways and relishing in the sickeningly drained look in Train's eyes. "Ha! Die you bastard die!"

Train's eyes started to close and he felt himself losing consciousness. He tried to reach for his gun but it was out of reach, as was his sword. He tried to reach out to his foe but his hands were becoming unresponsive. Just as splotches of black began to mar his vision he saw something in the sky...Something bright red.

As the red pulsating object came closer Train heard something, an animalistic roar that made the breeze itself die mid-gust.

"GETSUGA TENSHO!"

Grimmjow looked up just as the blazing gust of red and black energy collided full-on with his body. Train was thrown about by the resulting explosion and found himself lying on his side at the edge of a crater. In the epicentre of the pit, Grimmjow lay beaten and broken, panting like an overworked hound. He looked badly burned and blood soaked him from head to toe.

Train looked up and saw Ichigo standing over him. He reached out a helping hand and assisted the Black Cat in sitting up. Train wanted to ask him something, but Ichigo was already jumping down inside the crater to fight with Grimmjow.

* * *

Ulquiorra approached Lord Aizen's throne and bowed to his benevolent master. "My Lord, I have something to report."

Aizen looked up from his tea and frowned. "What is it Ulquiorra?"

"Grimmjow has encountered the Kurosaki boy, as well as that human assassin. It seems they too wish to find that man, Sven Volfied."

Aizen looked unperturbed. "I see. Then we shall withdraw for now. Summon Grimmjow at once and bring him back." Aizen chuckled to himself and set the cup down so that he could clap his hands together. "Why bother searching for Mr Volfied when our little friends will bring him straight to us? This shall be even easier than I anticipated."

Ulquiorra stared up in awe at his master. His strategies had never gone wrong before. Everything he did was to set himself up for his grand scheme. Every battle, every encounter was just another step towards the heavens.

"Oh, and Ulquiorra? Please ask Szayel when our little pet will be ready. I wish to be able to see her soon."

Ulquiorra bowed his head, "As you wish Lord Aizen." He rose to his feet and marched out, leaving Aizen alone to finish his tea. He stared into the dark liquid and smiled.

"Soon...Soon they will come for me. Then the time will be at hand..."

* * *

Sven woke up in unfamiliar territory, not the first time recently. He was covered in bandages and tucked into a simple hospital bed. There were no life support machines or anything of the sort, just a young girl sitting beside him, chanting softly to herself while her hands glowed green. Sven stared at her and was about to ask her what she was doing when he remembered the time Rukia had done the same thing to him. She called it Kido, or something...

The girl smiled at him and then rose to her feet and walked off. She called out to someone and then she returned accompanied by an older woman whose hair drooped down over shoulders and down her front in a large braid.

"You are awake, how wonderful." The woman beamed. "I am Captain Retsu Unohana. You are lucky we found you. Your wounds were rather severe."

"Where...Is the other guy?" Sven asked dazedly.

"Other? There were no others with you. Unfortunately we did find many innocents had been slain. You must tell me who did such a terrible thing. Rukongai is supposed to be free of the pains of war and battle, that is why we keep them separated from Sereitei, for their own protection. To have people committing such acts in a land of peace is truly despicable."

"Grimmjow...That was his name..." Sven muttered, "He told me he was sent to kill me...But why?"

The captain bowed her head and laid a hand on his shoulder. It stung a little but Sven endured. "Do not worry anymore. We shall protect you. It is our duty to defend the souls of all who dwell here. We shall send a search party out to find this man."

"No!" Sven croaked, "He's too strong! He's a monster!"

Unohana chuckled to herself and patted his forehead. "I can be pretty fearsome myself on the battlefield. I do not think there is much to worry about. We captains of the 13 court guards excel in combat. We can hold our own on the battlefield."

"I know...I've seen you guys fight before."

"Hmm?"

"Never mind. That was my past life. I am dead now."

Unohana frowned. "Do not speak such things. Death is not as terrible as it seems. It is natural for humans to fear death, we do not understand it. But once you make peace with what has happened the fear and the pain drift away." The wise captain looked off into space in silence for a moment before giggling to herself. "Listen to me rambling on."

"No, you're right..." Sven mumbled, "What's done is done. I should look forward, not back into the past. But still, these guys must be after me for some reason. They came here just to kill me. Could it be...Aizen?"

That name struck a nerve with the captain. Unohana's expression faltered for just a moment but she caught herself before she let out anything. Her mouth opened but words did not flow and instead she averted her gaze to the floor. "That man...How do you..."

"I met him." Sven murmured coldly. "He robbed me of the one thing I ever cherished in this life..."

Unohana's eyes narrowed. "Could it be? Were you that man the others spoke of? The sweeper?"

"Sven Volfied. Yeah, it's me. I fought with your buddies last I saw them, but Aizen swooped in and ruined everything. I don't know what that orb was that he took out of Rukia, or just what the hell happened on that day. I don't understand any of that, all I know is that Eve is gone...And every second she isn't by my side is like a bullet in my heart..."

Unohana bowed her head, looking to be on the brink of tears. "I am so sorry...We shinigami endangered you and your loved ones. We brought this fate upon you. We are to blame for your pain and hardships. There is no way to atone for such a crime."

"Hey!"

"We strive to protect the people...Yet we have only dragged more innocents into our battles. We have failed in our mission." Unohana wiped at her eyes and sighed. "I wish you luck Sven. May you live to see your precious Eve once again. As a captain I promise you that Aizen will fall for his evil ways. I cannot stop your pain but I can avenge what is lost."

Sven smiled, "Thank you." He hopped off of the bed and looked outside. He saw someone watching him, someone familiar. It brought a weak smile to his face and he stepped outside to greet him. This man, this old friend, surely he would be ale to help him save Eve. It was worth a shot, and so Sven approached his look-alike, Kisuke Urahara.

The two stared off one another in silence for a while until they both smirked and started laughing.

* * *

Ichigo stood over his opponent, sword hovering above the fallen warrior's head, poised to end their brief encounter. He glared at the blue haired demon and kicked him in the ribs, knocking Grimmjow onto his back. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice cold.

"Y-You think I'll tell you?" Grimmjow asked arrogantly, revealing a bloodied grin behind his mask. "I'm Grimmjow Jeagerjaques and that's all you need to know."

"Who sent you? Why are you after Sven?" Ichigo asked, pointing his sword squarely at Grimmjow's face.

"I don't need to answer you. You think I'm scared of a little runt like you? I was ordered to kill Sven and that was it. I wasn't asked to clean up some shit-stain on Soul Society's ass! Why don't you run away before I tear you apart."

Ichigo scowled and thrust his sword with blinding speed, cutting through Grimmjow's cheek and drawing blood. The intruder just laughed mockingly.

"Your sword is nice and sharp. Why don't we test it?"

Ichigo stomped on his chest and snarled, "I don't have time to waste playing with you! Tell me what I want to know and then I can go ahead and kill you!"

"HA! Kill me? You think a threat like that is going to make me squeal? Guess again you moron!" Grimmjow kicked out at Ichigo's hand, knocking his sword aside. He then rolled onto his side and took out Ichigo's legs. As the Kurosaki boy fell the beast pounced on him, latching his fingers over his throat while the other reached for his own sword. "How about I ask you some questions boy? Are you Ichigo Kurosaki?"

That stunned him and Ichigo's eyes narrowed. He did not speak but his reaction was answer enough

"So you are then? Well that's great because Aizen will be ever so pleased if I drag your head back with me as well!" His blade soared towards the boy's throat but stopped just short when a pale hand enclosed around his own gnarled knuckles and held him back. Grimmjow traced his eyes up along the arm to see Ulquiorra standing over him, his face as unreadable as ever.

"Grimmjow. You have failed in your mission. Fall back."

"Huh? No! I can still kill this little son of a-"

"Your mission was to kill Sven. When the time comes to kill the Kurosaki boy you can do as you wish but for now you are to fall back." Ulquiorra's expression suggested resistance would not work. With a reluctant groan Grimmjow rose from his position and followed Ulquiorra and Shawlong through the garganta, only to pause halfway and glance back at his opponents.

"Train, Ichigo...I'll let you live for now...But I swear, the next time we meet neither one of you will walk out alive! I will tear you all to shreds! Next time...You're both dead! You hear me? DEAD!" He strolled off laughing hysterically. And with that the intruder's disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.


	11. Pursuit

_**10: Pursuit**_

The sombre breeze over Rukongai carried with it the stench of death. An entire village lay in waste, corpses of young and old, man, woman and child. Houses and shrines were either burnt to the ground or reduced to rubble. Skeletal frames of houses stood out, the walls and roofs collapsing while the supports remained strong. A world of peace had been swallowed up by the reality of battle. Those who were not slaughtered weeped for their lost friends.

Ichigo and Train wandered through the ruins searching for survivors, but they found few. Train limped forward, leaning heavily on his berry-headed companion. "Why?" The Black Cat asked, "Why did he kill them? This war...It is against the Court Guards...So why then, would he slaughter the innocent? They weren't even armed!" Train fell forward onto his knees but Ichigo caught him before he fell to the ground. He helped steady him and then they moved on, in search for their pal, Sven.

"Aizen...He sent them. No wonder they did this."

"You sound like you know him..." Train muttered.

Ichigo noded gravely. "It feels like I do. Rukia told me stories about him. She told me he was the worst of scum. He betrayed his closest friends, his comrades...Even those who looked up to him. He turned his back on them and spat in their face. He even caused Urahara to be exiled from Soul Society."

Train's eyes narrowed. "Really?"

Ichigo nodded. "I don't know the details but Rukia told me that Aizen had done something terribly wrong and framed Urahara for the incident. He had no other choice but to be exiled to the World of The Living."

"I see...But then why is he with us now? Shouldn't he be staying behind?"

Ichigo chuckled to himself, "Urahara isn't one to follow rules. He's a rebel at heart..."

Train grinned. "So that's why he's helping us."

"Sure, I guess...But I also know he cares for Rukia. I don't know why but there seems to be some history between the two and he won't let Rukia die. I know I can trust him." Ichigo scanned the ruins and frowned, "Anyway, let's keep looking for Sven."

* * *

Sven and Urahara shared a laugh before having a silent stare-off. The breeze blew dust across their faces but neither one shielded their faces from the clouds of swirling dust.

"So you're still alive. That is wonderful news. I sensed some rather unsettling visitors earlier. I was afraid you might have been slain, but the bad guys seem to have dissapeared now."

"Kisuke Urahara. What do you want with me? I may not have known you for long but I understand you only show your face when you have a plan."

Urahara smirked. "You can read me like a book! Maybe that's why you're revered as one of the greatest sweepers to ever walk the earth, alongisde the legendary Black Cat."

"Quit babbling and spill it." Sven grumbled, "I thought you were a warrior not a Jehovas Witness."

Urahara's smile thinned and his gaze settled rather curiously upon the sweeper. "You still wish to save Eve, yes?"

Sven clenched his fists and stared at the ground. "Of course I do...But-"

"You fear you aren't strong enough?" Kisuke interjected. "How foolish! Do you think Eve would have just sat back and watched her friends die because she didn't think she was strong enough? She fought her hardest no matter how strong the enemy was because she cared about you! Will you just abandon her because of your weaknesses?"

"Shut up!" Sven roared. "You don't understand! I've seen those guys fight! They're monsters! They are way too strong! If I tried to rescue her I would just get myself killed and I would never be able to see her again."

"So your plan is to wait? Hope they let her go for no good reason and Eve will just run into your arms? How stupid! I would have thought you knew better! Eve is doomed to be executed. Aizen has grown distrustful of her ever since she tried to escape. Her time on this earth is limited. If you just sit around you will be personally responsible for her death!"

"Stop it!" Sven cried, "You don't think I feel bad enough already? I couldn't save her! I couldn't even save myself! I've been living with that pain ever since that day!"

"Then redeem yourself!" Urahara snapped. "Don't wallow in your own self pity. Take charge and fight until the very end. Even if you die, Eve will know that you died trying to save her. She will understand."

Sven bowed his head. "I...I..."

"Fine then!" Urahara scolded, "Stay here. Hide like a worthless hermit and sob about your missing loved ones. Live with your guilt for an eternity and watch as everyone around you abandons you and is erased by time. Live alone but feel relief that at least_ you_ stayed alive." Urahara turned to leave and glanced over his shoulder. "Sven the courageous sweeper is already dead. I see now that this man who stands before me is nothing but the cowardly shell of a once great man. He is worthless. I have wasted my time trying to save him." He walked off but was soon stopped by a trembling hand gripping his sleeve.

"Wait..." Sven whispered. "Please...Help me..."

Kisuke Urahara's smile returned. "Will you abandon your fear and fight until the very end?"

"Yes."

"Will you promise never return to Soul Society until you have saved Eve, or turned to ash?"

A slight moment of hesitation before Sven nodded. "Yes..."

"Very well then. Follow me." Urahara draped a hand over Sven's shoulder and patted his back. "You have made the wisest choice."

* * *

Eve stared vacantly at the blank white walls before her. They answered her with silence like they always had. She asked questions but never got answers. She made wishes that were left unfullfilled. She wallowed in the fear of Ulquiorra's next innevitable visit, his next check-up. She was treated like an animal, locked in a cage, fed sludgy filth in a rusted bowl and periodically examined by a creep in a white coat.

A stray cat would not have to endure this...

Black Cat...Eve wondered where he was, if he missed her. Was he searching for her? Had he given up hope? Eve asked the wall. It was her only companion in this terrible place and she feared her sanity was starting to slip away. The crushing loneliness, something she was once accustomed to, was now as painful as a blade or bullet. She would have cried but tears had gotten her nowhere in this place. They were a waste of time and energy. Besides, her tears has dried up long ago...

"Princess. I am coming in." That voice, as cold as ice, chilling and vague. It was Ulquiorra. Eve huddled up in the corner and pressed her face against the wall so she wouldn't have to see him. She could sense his deathly presence, like a corpse hovering over her. He moved closer. His shadow enveloped her and then his hand touched her shoulder.

Eve flinched but it still did not stop him from knocking her to the floor and slashing her throat with a blackened fingernail. Blood oozed out from the small incision and Ulquiorra collected in in a small vial.

"We need more blood." Ulquiorra explained. "Your nanomachines are present in all of your bodily tissues but the blood is richer. The blood is more nourishing for it."

Eve hugged her knees and sobbed, the pain excruciating. Ulquiorra entwined a thick lock of her hair around his hand and lifted her up onto her knees. The poor little girl whimpered and tried her hardest to suppress the rampant tears but they flowed regardless. She knew what was coming. Ulquiorra had done it every time he saw her cry. She closed her eyes and braced herself. A leaden fist collided with her jaw and she was thrown into the wall, crashing hard against the stone.

"There is no use for such a pitiful creature. If it were not for Lord Aizen's plan I would have destroyed you long ago. You are trash."

"Please...Please go!" Eve wept.

Ulquiorra's expression did not change, but there was a definite change in the air around him, as if a fire had just ignited around him. The pallid, ghostly creature crossed over to her and clenched a fist. Eve crawled away but she was unable to escape her ruthless captor. She screamed for what felt like years.

* * *

Rukia had no choice but to listen to Eve's cries or terror and pain. They lasted for far too long, eventually becoming quieter with each successive thud. A heavy thud followed and the wailing stopped. Rukia shuddered, feeling Eve's agony. She did not get beaten like Eve, but she could hear everything behind those stone walls. She felt every strike and most times she found herself crying out as well.

Every day, or at least what she percieved as each day, she wished for Ichigo or Train or anyone for that matter to come and save them. Those wishes fell on deaf ears. She heard Eve talking to herself often as well, asking the empty air if they could help her escape or asking where her friends were. It saddened her, but Rukia did the same thing.

The door to Eve's room slammed shut and weak sobbing became audible. Rukia leaned against the wall and whispered, "Eve?" She heard an awkward muffled response from the other side of the wall. "Hang in there...We'll be rescued soon enough. Ichigo and Train will burst in here and take us away from this hell." She said it as much for herself as she did for her companion.

After a dreadful silence, she heard Eve say, "Promise..."

Rukia closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She held her hand over her heart and smiled weakly, "I promise..."

"Rukia?"

"Yes?"

Eve sniffed. "I can't feel my legs..."

"What?" Rukia gasped.

Eve did not reply. There was another thud. Rukia cradled her head in her hands and screamed inside her mind.

_Please Ichigo...I'm begging you! Release us from this...Before it's too late!_

* * *

Urahara, Sven, Train and Ichigo reunited in Rukongia. There it was easier to slip away undetected and return to the World of the Living. Urahara created his own special senkaimon for his companios to make their way through and he followed soon after, first checking behind him for any signs of pursuers. When he was satisfied that no-one was watching he too retreated from Soul Society.

Urahara filled Sven in on their plan while they raced through the dangai.

"You wish to save Eve. To do that you must enter the domain of hollows, you must travel to Hueco Mundo. It is incredibly dangerous there, but with your combined strength you may just survive and if not, at least you will die honorably. I shall help you get ehre but I will not be going with you. I have matters to attend to of my own in preparations for the inevitable war."

"Huh? But aren't we going to break out Rukia and Eve?" Sven asked.

Urahara rolled his eyes. "You did not think that was all there was to this did you? Aizen wishes to crush all of Soul Society and enslave the people in the World of the Living. Even if you succeed in rescuing his captives Aizen will keep up his resistance. However you may provoke him into attacking early. If he is unprepared then his forces will be weaker. We may gain the uper hand then."

"So...You are only helping us because you think we're an adequate decoy?" Train muttered.

Kisuke bowed his head and sighed. "Quite frankly you are correct...But also...I do not wish to see those girls harmed. This war does not concern them. They should never have been dragged into this. At all costs they must be saved and if you do...Promise me you will defend them until the battles are over. Things will become very dangerous here. Aizen will stop at nothing to get what he wants and I fear a great many of us will fall. Such things should not be seen by such innocent beings."

Train chuckled to himself and saluted. "Sure thing. We'll protect them with our very lives."

"I'm glad..." Urahara whispered under his breath. They ran on in silence until they reached the Urahara shop. Once there they found the employees setting up a large portal. They did not look up from their work and silently accepted Urahara's assistance with the final preparations.

Creed was waiting for them, sitting on a rock, gazing thoughtful at the painted sky below the Urahara Shoten. As Train neared he jumped up from his place on the rock and ran over to him. "Train, you are finally here! Soon, soon we will be deep in enemy territory...And then...Then the true Black Cat will reveal himself! I wish for nothing more than witness such a glorious event! I shall not rest until I witness your true form in battle once again." He bowed to his idol and remained that way until Train requested he stand up.

They watched on with growing impatience while Urahara chanted. As he whispered the incantation the portal gradually began to glow with radiant light. Soon the air between the large poles cracked like a piece of glass and a garganta formed. It was small at first but soong rew to become immense.

Urahara stepped back and waved his cane at the portal. "There you go gentlemen. Your path to Hueco Mundo stands before you. Abandon all fear and doubt. Look only forward and remember, Rukia and Eve are counting on you. Good luck and may we all meet again before this is over."

Creed, Sven, Train and Ichigo all nodded gravely to one another before leaping through into the next world. They all released a mighty battle-cry as they charged through and in one moment all light vanished and all four of them were engulfed in darkness.

Urahara watched as the garganta closed behind them and he found himself staring at the empty space for quite some time, lost in thought.

_Good luck to you all...Godspeed...I fear there is not much time left until..._


	12. Entrance

**11:** **Entrance**

Hueco Mundo was truly the realm of hollows. The land itself was vacant, lifeless, soulless. Great clouds of pearly white sand whipped about in the wild winds in the great wilderness. Dead crystalized trees swayed morosely. The eternal darkness of perpetual night devoured the sky, a permanently full moon watching over the land and the accursed creatures that dwelled within.

Amidst it all four men wandered the ocean of sand in search of their lost friends. They knew not where to go nor what to search for. There were no real clues to present themself. They searched aimlessly, wandering in unsteady circles with nothing to guide them.

It seemed their journey was all for nought. It took courage to come here, but they had been caught up in the moment. They had not thought out their plan, nor even stopped to think about where to go. Now they were stuck here...

* * *

Meanwhile, trapped in her cell in the great palace of Las Noches, Eve awaited help that would not arrive. She stared down at her pale hands, shivering and cold. Blood had soaked through her tattered and filthy dress, the same one she had worn when she was brought here some time ago.

She had lost track of the days. Time had no meaning when the only thing to look forward to was the arrival of the most despicable demon in all existence, a creature more terrible than the monsters in any tale. Ulquiorra was the personification of pure evil. He was remorseless, brutal and cold. For her entire time here, whether the pallid beast was beside her or not, she had suffered the worst of his tortures. He had not held back. He was relentless.

The bruises on her cheeks had not healed, consistently being re-created from fresh bludgeoning's. Crusted wounds all over her arms and back and legs and neck had become constant sources of excruciating pain. He had cut her badly, and though he showed no signs, he seemed to relish in her agony. The pain made her scream, made her cry, but that only drove him on. It was an endless cycle of violence, a nightmare from which there was no known escape.

It had come to a point where Eve wished for death. She had never thought she would do so, had always held out hope for Train to save her...But now even that hope, her belief in her companions...It had faded into nothingness, a hollow, vacant dream...Now she wished for her life to end, for Ulquiorra to finish her off once and for all and end the misery and torment. She was disgusted in herself for even thinking such thoughts but she knew no matter how much she protested her body cried out for release, a release that would only end in the eternal numbness of death's cold embrace.

She spent another day sobbing, cradling her wounds and listening to Rukia through the walls. She had always tried to console her, had even tried to talk her out of her cruel thoughts, but it meant nothing. Rukia's voice was comforting, but it was not a bandage thick enough to stop the bleeding. It was not an anaesthetic strong enough to stop the pain.

Without another person's comforting touch she felt so terribly alone. She couldn't cope with it. She had spent long times alone when she lived with the military, but after Sven had saved her, she suddenly grew accustomed to human company. She had become dependent upon it to the point that she was feeling withdrawal symptoms just from being isolated from her friends for so long. She had not even seen Rukia's face all those times she had spoken to her. How was she to know it was really her? Aizen had tricked Sven with his dark magic; surely he could be doing the same to her...

The poor young girl glanced up at the big bright moon outside. It provided no heat or warmth and its light was weak. She stared at it for a long time, a time she could not measure. She stared deep into the heartless moon and then she whispered ever so softly...

"Please...End this pain..." Tears started to flow down her bruised cheeks. It stung terribly and so she curled up in a ball and squeezed her eyes shut and begged, "End this nightmare..." She could barely breathe, her breaths coming in ragged painful gasps from her damaged lungs. "End it...End..." Eve took one last laboured breath and collapsed into a heap. She hugged her knees and buried her head between them. And as she shivered and sobbed and ached, she uttered one last thing...

"Please...End my life..."

* * *

From a distant room in the Palace, Ulquiorra watched the fragile young blonde as she begged for death. His face was as ever a blank slate of utter indifference. He felt nothing. Not even a sliver of guilt over this young life, broken from his cruel deeds. No, he did not care.

"She's rather upset now isn't she?" A sickeningly calm voice uttered from the hall.

Ulquiorra turned to face the bespectacled scientist. "Szayel...If you are here then that must mean _it _is ready."

"Correct Ulquiorra. _She _is indeed ready." The scientist bowed and uttered a dry chuckle. "Perfect timing I would say."

Ulquiorra blinked. "So you felt it then?"

"Of course. Four head-strong young boys have burst into our most precious abode in search of their stolen companions. They seem to be a little lost at the moment though. I suggest we use her to lure them closer."

"Our orders were to kill them, not play with them."

"Yes, _we _were ordered to kill them. And besides, it is not fun if we let her destroy them all!"

"The war shall soon be at hand. Can you really not wait?" Ulquiorra looked down at the screen and then back to his comrade, "Very well. Do as you wish. They are trash. Aizen will be in no danger."

Szayel bowed once again, "Thank you. Now I shall make my leave now. I must help her."

Ulquiorra ignored him and turned his attention back to the screen. It switched to a laboratory where the new super-weapon was lying restrained on a large stone slab. Ulquiorra studied it for a moment and then switched off the monitor.

It was time to pay Eve a visit.

* * *

"Argh! We're wandering in god damn circles!" Sven threw his suit-case to the ground and coughed as a cloud of dust was spat up into his face. A low curse rumbled out from him and he squatted in the sand, resting his aching legs.

Train rolled his eyes and scanned the vacant horizon. "We need to find a landmark or something we can use as a guide. That guy...He's referred to as 'Lord Aizen' so maybe he has a castle or something?"

"A castle?" Ichigo retorted, "Where are we going to find a castle in the middle of the bloody desert?"

"Well we have to search for something! They aren't standing around outside are they?" Train sank to his knees and groaned. "Dammit! We can't just keep wandering around like this or we will run out of time."

"But there is nothing out here...What if they were underground?"

"I doubt it." Ichigo muttered, grasping his chin.

The group looked around solemnly, unable to see any distinguishing landmarks or anything other mountains of dry sand.

"Welcome to my humble abode gentlemen," A great booming voice struck down from no-where. It was unmistakeable, that menacingly calm tone could only have come from Aizen himself!

The group panicked and scanned their surroundings hastily. Aizen just laughed mockingly from his hidden viewpoint.

"There is no need to worry. I am quite far away right now. I just wanted to give you a clue, besides; you came all this way to see me."

"AIZEN! Show yourself you bastard!" Sven roared, his heart racing. He hated that man more than anything in the world, especially after he toyed with him, fooling his grief-stricken mind and using the very girl he desired to bring about his downfall. Such dirty tactics were a disgusting and cruel act and Sven would never forgive him for what he did.

"Show myself? Very well. Behold..." In the distance the ground began to tremble and from seemingly nowhere, a great castle emerged. Great billowing clouds of dust and sand swept out from its immense stone walls and the moon in the sky was obscured by its great towers. Even from such a distance it looked huge.

The group stared in shock and awe at the mighty monument.

"This," Aizen boomed, "Is my Palace, Las Noches. I am looking forward to your arrival."

"Train?" Ichigo whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I guess you were right. He does have a castle."

"Yeah, and now at least we know where we are going."

Well then, let's go!" Sven snatched up his case and raced across the desert sands towards the looming palace on the horizon. The others followed in close pursuit.

* * *

Aizen sat upon his throne and grinned. "This is marvellous. It looks like all of Soul Society's trump cards are about to fall into my hands. With them out of the way this war shall be over before it even begins!"

"Lord Aizen," Szayel appeared through a door in the side of the expansive chamber. He bowed before him before giving his message, ""She is ready. What are your orders?"

Aizen just smiled.

* * *

It took hours, possibly even days of running to get closer to Las Noches. Determination spurred the young men on as they rushed through the vacant desert plains and it seemed the castle never got closer, but they knew...They knew they were getting there. With no sunlight there was no indication of a new day, but it felt like it had been a week at the least. Time seemed to slow, to drag on endlessly so there was no real way of knowing, but that was unimportant. The weary group shoved such thoughts to the back of their minds and focused solely on moving forward, ever forward towards Las Noches.

Occasionally Aizen would taunt them, his voice like that of a god bearing down upon his followers.

"Almost there. Just a little further. I am waiting. Eve is waiting. Rukia is waiting."

It only made them move faster. They seemed to come at certain intervals; they assumed it would be a day between each little message. As the messages continued and the castle still remained out of reach hope began to dwindle, but the steely resolve of the companions burned brighter and stronger in the face of adversity. They would not back down, would not give up! They would run to the ends of the earth to bring them back...And it felt like they already had.

Eventually, at long last the castle was close enough to swallow the sky above them and take up everything in sight. When all they could see were gigantic stone pillars and solid impenetrable walls they knew they were very close. The excitement aided them in the final leg of their exhausting journey and in time they reached the walls.

The sheer achievement of being able to place a hand against the cold smooth surface was a rejuvenating accomplishment to them. It meant their journey was not for naught, that soon their beloved friends would be once again in their arms...

All they had to do was get inside.

On a count to three, all four men attacked the wall and incredibly they managed to create a dent the length of a car in the wall. On a second attempt the surrounding areas of the walls splintered and the crater grew bigger. On a third strike, it crumbled away and the four warriors stepped through into the domain of the damned...

Ichigo smiled thinly and gave a warm chuckle, "We're in! Now let's crash this party!"

They ran down a long winding corridor and entered a great chamber with a ceiling as high as the clouds. The room itself appeared to be the size of a town but was utterly bare aside from a large slab in the centre of the room. A group of hollows stood around it and all turned their heads to stare at the intruders. Dripping fangs and glowing red eyes greeted the intruders who all took up defensive stances.

"Hollows...Where are the other guys?"

"Never mind! Let's just kill them and move on!" Train dashed forth and whipped out his trusty pistol Hades. He shot off three bullets and then ran alongside them until he neared the enemy. When he was within a close range he leapt high up into the air and drew his sword. As the first few hollows started to drop the Black Cat landed before the rest and moved into a crouch. The enemy did not move. They groaned pitifully and then fell apart like cheap children's toys. They had been cut down before they could even see it coming.

Train sheathed his weapon and studied the slab. Resting upon it was an all too familiar friend. IT was Eve!

"Eve!" Sven rushed up to meet her. The other followed suit, all the while Train wrestled with the tubes sticking into her flesh and the heavy restraints around her wrists and ankles.

"Don't worry Eve! We're here to save you! We're going to break you out of here and we can all go home!" Train was unable to stop smiling and laughing. It had been so easy. So, so easy...

Eve began to stir, here eyelids opening sluggishly. Dazzling scarlet eyes settled upon the triumphant warriors who stood before her and with a frail and trembling hand she reached out to them. Her dress was torn and she looked paler than usual. She must have suffered in her time away from her adoring friends. But that was all going to change. She was going to be set free...

Sven leaned over her and smiled, "Eve..."

"Sven..." She whispered back.

The two embraced, hugging one another as tightly as they could. It felt too wonderful to be real, the warmth felt only by that of a loved one...It overcame Sven and he began to sob.

"Eve...I'm sorry...So sorry...I couldn't save you..."

"I'm sorry Sven..." The frail young girl uttered as softly as the breeze. Sven took no notice; after all she had nothing to apologize for. It was his fault entirely. She shouldn't have beaten herself up over his mistakes. He just pulled her closer and buried his head in her soft blonde hair.

"Sorry..." Eve muttered again.

In the next instant, the world was painted red. Sven saw blood, far too much blood and black splotches appeared in the corners of his vision. Pain unlike anything he had ever felt took hold and his body went rigid. He tried to cry out but a mouthful of crimson spittle was all to escape his cracked lips.

The others had no idea what had happened and before they could even think they too were cut down. Blood rained down upon the grisly scene and all four young heroes were brought down in a sickening orgy of violence. And amidst it all, Eve rose from the slab and smiled. The blades embedded in each of the young men turned back into her delicate hair and fluttered almost carelessly in the dead air of the chamber.

"Sorry..." She whispered coldly.

* * *

Please review.


	13. Darkness

**12**: **Darkness**

Sorry for the wait, but here it is! Enjoy and please, please review. Your support is keeping this story alive. 

* * *

_Eve...Why? Why did you..._

Sven clenched his fists and stared at the girl as she turned to leave. He reached out towards her and released a low moaning sound as his heart was torn apart before his very eyes. Once again he felt the searing pain of defeat and once again Eve was there...

But surely she would not have...

"Grr...Aizen! Show yourself dammit! Stop hiding behind your illusions and face me!" Sven pushed himself up onto all fours, opening up the wounds in his gut. He cursed under his breath and looked back up to Eve who had glanced over her shoulder to study him. Her eyes bore that same vacant curiosity behind them.

"Eve...Please...It's me, Sven..."

She stared back coldly, unblinking, emotionless, lifeless. Her hair morphed back into blades and she studied the glistening weapons with child-like fascination, almost as if she had never even witnessed her own powers before. She turned back to Sven and then gazed over into the distance. She nodded as if in agreement, though no-one had uttered a single word.

Then, she left. Strolling off casually without a care in the world.

"Eve! Eve! Please come back!" Sven cried weakly, "We came all this way...We came here to save you! So why? Why did you..." He trailed of, unable to speak as he became lost to grief.

Sickening laughter assaulted him; echoing around the room and bearing down upon him like a tidal wave of sound. Sven's eyes narrowed and he traced the sound to a lone figure standing in the corridor before Eve. She came to a stop beside him and then turned back to face him.

_Eve...What are you doing? What have they done to you? Or am I just seeing things?_

The stranger entered the room and at once a crushing presence pressed down upon the wounded heroes, forcing them all back onto the ground. A wiry young man with thin spectacles studied them with an inquisitive stare. He adjusted his spectacles and laughed again.

"Wonderful! So wonderful! It is truly touching to see how devoted you are to such a worthless cause!" He clapped in mock applause and grinned from ear to ear. "Your love for that stupid little girl is unfathomable!"

Sven cursed, bringing up bile to the back of his throat.

"She's remarkable isn't she? The ultimate killing machine. Quite a power your little Eve has if I must say so myself...But it is lacking. Maybe it's because she was too weak to wield it properly? Maybe she's too soft to truly harness her power? But either way, the solution was simple indeed!"

"You...bastard! What have you done to her?" Sven snarled, his rage subsiding with the excruciating pain of simply breathing.

The sinister man chuckled devilishly and spread his arms wide, holding his hands out flat on either side as he proudly explained, "I have done nothing to your precious little plaything! Brain-washing or some such act is just foolish, not to mention barbaric! All I did was set her free!"

Sven gasped, blood soaking between his teeth and dribbling down his chin, "W-What?"

The mad scientist patted the girl on the head and smiled. "Eve was built specifically for warfare. She is a bioweapon designed to be utilised in combat situations of any and all natures. She is versatile in all conditions and is the future of unarmed combat...Yet you stood in the way of her destiny and changed her fate. You bluntened her blades and made her weak! This is her way of paying you back. She has severed her ties with you and has become what she was born to be, the ultimate killing machine!"

"N-No..." Sven stared at the girl he had grown to adore. He had always known that she was originally just a mindless tool bred for war. This was what Eve was designed for from the very beginning. But he couldn't accept it. He didn't want to leave her and so he tried to change her. He forced her into a different life. This was the terrifying path Sven saved her from...Was this what she really wanted?

"Eve...I'm so sorry I tried to change you...I just...I just thought you...You..." He couldn't finish. It was so unfathomable that the fallen sweeper just couldn't bring himself to say it. Once again he found himself in denial, unable to accept what was happening. It just didn't seem right! Eve was a kind, sweet girl. He knew that. She was happy...Truly happy...She adored Sven and Train and she cherished every moment they had spent together. So why now? Why now would she turn her back against everything that had happened and revert into a monster? It didn't add up.

But if that were true, then why had she attacked them? Was she afraid? Had Aizen threatened her? She must have been terrified and alone all this time, surely Aizen could have influenced her...It had to be Aizen!

"Aizen!" Sven snarled through gritted teeth and clouded eyes. He struggled to find his feet again and collapsed back down onto his wounded stomach, sending waves of searing pain throughout his body and forcing out a cry of sheer agony.

Eve watched on with a look of unperturbed indifference. She looked bored.

_Aizen! What did you do to her? What did you do to Eve you sick son-of-a-bitch?_

The madman just laughed, his spiteful mirth dripping venom. His applause was merely salt in the wounds. "Marvellous! Marvellous! More, more, more! The stage is set, the curtains soaked in blood! Encore, encore! Ha ha ha ha!"

Eve watched the man and to Sven's shock, she smiled. It was faint, a barely perceptible shift in her delicate lips, but he was certain that he saw it. She was enjoying this...

"Eve...Why? I did everything...Did everything for you..."

"Sven," She interjected, her voice as cold as ice. Sven instantly fell silent, compelled to listen to her. The young girl, skin like porcelain, eyes like diamonds, stepped forward ever so slowly. Her expression was as always unreadable, stuck in an ever indecisive stare. She didn't look like a monster. She did not have the eyes of a predator. There was no anger or hatred burning in her eyes so why then was she doing this?

"Eve...Please..."

"Die."

Before that single uttered curse could be processed in Sven's fractured mind, he saw her hand, saw it morph into a length of sharpened steel. He saw his own stunned reflection in the weapon's gleaming surface as it sailed through the air towards him.

Time slowed and came to a rushing halt as the world was pitched into darkness...Darkness splattered in specks of crimson. Tiny raindrops of scarlet. Sven tried to speak, but his jaw hung open, slack and unhinged. His whole body seized up and paralysis borne from fear dug it's claws into his grief-stricken soul and trapped him in place as slowly, Eve drew her blade out from deep within his chest.

Sven stared wide eyes at the remorseless look on Eve's face. She withdrew her blade and watched on, bored as he slumped over to one side and rolled onto his back. The last thing he saw before the darkness claimed him, was his precious Eve, kneeling down over him. Her soft blonde hair trailed down to brush over his cheeks and forced tears to flow. He wanted to reach out and hold her, to just hold her close one last time, but his body refused him his wish.

She observed as his cheeks paled and his muscles went slack. She watched him as weak convulsions wracked his mortally wounded frame. She watched as the pain became as clear as lake water, etched upon his features. Then, she extended her hand down gracefully and stroked his cheek.

_Eve? Are you..._

"Sleep," She whispered like a soothing lullaby, "sleep and never again shall you wake." She pressed her slender fingers over his eyelids and brought them down. They did not re-open. Sven did not resist.

The others watched on in horror. They could not believe their eyes.

Train snarled, his eyes glazing over with searing rage. He grit his teeth and pried himself up from the ground. Waves of blinding pain surged through his lacerated left shoulder, but he pushed on, rising to his feet, albeit shakily.

"You...What have you done to her?"

The mad scientist chuckled. "How heart-warming. You still believe that she is pure and that we were the ones who forced her into this? Your faith is touching, really."

"Answer me!" Train roared. "There is no way in Hell Eve would ever hurt us! How dare you toy with her as if she's just a tool! She isn't a monster and she never will be! I swear I will bring her back to her senses if it's the last thing I do!"

Szayel smirked, "Is that so young man? Well as much as I'd love to see you pour your heart and soul into protecting that _thing _I would much rather kill you myself. I have my orders you see, and there is a very high price upon your head. To think, if I claim each of your heads and brought them to Lord Aizen, I would be ever so famous!"

"Bastard...If I have to kill you first then so be it!" Train drew his pistol and lined up his shot. His vision was blurring and he couldn't think straight. All he knew was that he couldn't lose! He just had to survive...Just a little longer...

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!" Train charged.

Szayel just smiled and waited for him, one hand placed loosely upon the hilt of his sword.

Train leapt high into the air and fired, muzzle flashes like lightning brightening the room. The bullets soared towards the madman who merely stepped lazily around them. As the young warrior dropped from the sky he drew his sword and the two blades clashed in a rain of sparks.

"I will kill you for what you have done!" Train howled, only provoking his foe to laugh mockingly right in his face. Spittle flecked the boy's cheeks and at once he became lost. The Black Cat within him pounced.

With unimaginable speed Train smashed the side of his gun against Szayel's jaw, knocking him back a few steps. While he re-gained his composure Train thrust his sword deep into his heart, or lack thereof. With the man pinned on the edge of his sword he lined up a shot and fired point blank into his face.

"DIE!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, his wounds spurting bright red blood and showering himself and his opponent.

Szayel's face became lost behind the screen of smoke spewed forth from the barrel of Hades. But from behind it his sickening, taunting laughter echoed out. Train hastily swiped at the smoke, clearing it away to reveal a shield hovering over him. His eyes narrowed and he leapt out of the way before a large blade hacked down into the spot where he once stood.

Eve stood by the scientist and turned back to study his injuries. The front of his white lab coat had become stained in his own blood and a vicious tear ran around the gaping hole in his chest. He was panting heavily, yet he still retained an arrogant smirk on his face.

"So this is what they call the Black Cat? Impressive. Your speed and reflexes increased drastically. You actually landed a hit on me. In fact if Eve hadn't interfered I might have been killed!" He chuckled deeply before slapping the young girl and knocking her to the floor. He turned and stomped on her back. "Don't ever interrupt me again! Do you understand?"

"Eve!"

"Yes...Master..."

Train's burning glare suddenly softened. The murderous spark in his eyes faded and his resolve wavered.

"What...What did she just say?"

"Hmm?" Szayel cupped a hand around his ear and smiled. "What did she say? She called me her master. I bet she never called you that before. That's because she didn't trust you. She loathed you!" He said this, all the while still smiling.

Train cursed under his breath and charged again, roaring with the ferocity of a pride of lions. Once again their swords met in a rain of sparks and as the two crossed swords their raging spirits fought against one another in an unseen duel. The ground beneath them splintered and cracked and as the force behind each blade became too much to bear they each leapt back to the edge of the crater, only to rush in for another strike. Train hacked down upon his most hated foe but Szayel danced out of harm's way and spun around gracefully, bringing his sword around with the momentum only for it to hit Hades. Train pushed away with his gun and thrust his sword back at the madman. His blade pierced the fabric of his coat but failed to pierce flesh. The narrow evasion left Szayel still open and so Train lashed out with his right leg, catching him with a fierce roundhouse kick. The scientist was send staggering back and in a fit of rage threw himself back into the fray slicing down with immense force. Train guarded with his sword and fired several shots into his stomach.

Szayel whirled away and screamed in a frenzy of rage. He did not graciously accept defeat. Not when so much was at stake. He could into accept to be beaten by a mere human. He had to prove himself and prove his rank amongst the Espada. He could not let his pride be scarred by a pathetic human!

The two crossed swords and shockwaves erupted from the site of impact. They both roared like wild animals as they hacked away at each other fighting strike by thunderous strike without managing to land any further hits.

They both leapt aside and caught their ragged breaths. From far aside, Creed and Ichigo watched on in stunned awe. Meanwhile, Eve stared vacantly at them, uninterested in the violence.

Train caught a glimpse of her and snarled. They had changed her, made her into a soulless shell. Just like Torneo Rudman. Just like back then he would save her...Would show her what her true self is. He would bring her back no matter what.

With a mighty battle cry he raced off across the cracked battlefield and barrelled into Szayel. The two grappled on the ground and the madman threw several jarring punches to throw his assailant off. As the two rolled away they rushed in again for more chances to kill. Each man went for the jugular but their equally impressive skill prevented either one from dealing a mortal wound to the other.

The battle raged on as each man drained themselves of their energy. After many fierce bouts with no victor the two retreated to opposite sides of the room and tried to catch their breaths. They wheezed painfully as their bodies overworked themselves to accommodate the strain of their prolonged battle.

Szayel wiped sweaty strands of pink hair from his eyes and growled. "How dare you...How dare you try to steal my glory! I have grown tired of this charade! It is time to draw the curtain on this pitiful production! Prepare yourself, Black Cat! This shall be the final act! Sip, Fornicaras!"

The madman took his sword and lifted it high above his head, then turned it so that the tip was facing himself. Then without a moment's hesitation he pushed it down his throat and swallowed his own sword. Train was too stunned to react and remained in place. Szayel licked his lips and chuckled, his voice becoming distorted as his body suddenly swelled. His entire body became bulky and continued to grow to the point of exploding into a thick suffocating cloud of dark mist.

For a moment there was complete and utter silence...

But then there was laughter, sickening, bone-chilling laughter...

Everyone gasped as the mist cleared, aside from Eve who stood still and motionless like a China doll. Her face as calm and composed as ever.


	14. Madness

_**13: Madness**_

The mist cleared and a terrifying creature was revealed. The once human form of Szayel Apporo Grantz had been distorted into an unnatural shape. Crooked grey branches jutted out from his back and his legs became meshed in behind a forest of spindly tentacles. His lab coat had vanished revealing a thin grey suit which stretched over his almost bare flesh. His eyes, from a distance appeared to be bleeding a thick viscous fluid, but the purple markings around his eyes were definitely not blood. His golden eyes flickered with confidence and the very same twisted smile had returned.

Train just stared at him.

"Surprised? You haven't faced any Espada properly before have you? This is my ressureccion. You see, we Espada seal our original hollow forms within our blades. But we can summon those powers at will! This is my true form! Behold and know true fear, your life shall soon be at an end." Szayel spread his arms wide and cackled insanely.

"Face me Black Cat, if you dare!"

Train was visibly shaken, but still he forced himself to square his shoulders and take up an offensive stance. He studied the beast, searching for an opening, a weakness, anything. He didn't even know what Szayel's power was!

The doctor just waited, watching on as his lab rat began slowly approaching. He grinned wickedly and howled. The grey branches jutting out from his spine suddenly grew large red growths resembling bloody tear-drops. Before Train could react the unusual wings shot out towards him, swallowing him up.

"Train!" Ichigo pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and then onto his feet. He was unstable at first but soon gained his footing and raised his sword. While he rushed to his friend's aid the wings unfurled, spitting the young warrior back out onto the ground.

Train coughed and spluttered, but he was not injured. He checked himself for wounds, unable to believe he had escaped unscathed.

Szayel extended a hand and his wings retracted. One of the droplets swelled until it was too big to support its own weight and burst, spewing viscous fluid and a tiny object which landed in the palm of the lunatic's hand. Szayel shook it to clean the fluid from his new toy and then held it up proudly like a child during show and tell.

"Look! Isn't he so adorable?" He held up a little doll, one that resembled Train Heartnett. "Look at him. He looks a bit like you doesn't he? He's even got your hair!" He tugged at the tufts of brown locks on the doll and the real Train suddenly collapsed to his knees, gritting his teeth and clawing at his hair.

Szayel made a shocked face. "My, my, whatever is the matter?"

"What...What the Hell did you do?" Train cried.

"Me?" he pointed to himself, "I haven't done anything."

"Bullshit!" Train snapped, "What is the deal with that stupid doll?"

"Stupid doll?" The psychopath turned to look down at the doll and started talking to it. "Did you hear that Train? You are stupid!" He flicked the doll's head and in that same instant Train was flung backwards, landing in a heap beside Ichigo.

"What the...It's like a voodoo doll!" Ichigo helped Train up, keeping a watchful eye on his foe.

"Voodoo you say? My how vulgar! This is not a witch's black magic at work here! No this is something far grander! Watch!" Szayel's warped fingers gripped the dolls head and with a slight heave, tore if off.

Ichigo cried out in alarm and spun on his heels to check on Train. He was surprised to see his head still on his shoulders. "W-What? It...It didn't work?"

"Hmm? You think it didn't work? I already told you this is far from a childish voodoo doll. No, the real power is in these!" The mad scientist dug around inside the hollowed out doll and picked out a bunch of little oddly shaped pieces of clay. There was writing on each of them, however it was in Spanish. "Looks like a children's toy, doesn't it? But I've never seen a children's toy that could ever do this!" He took out a small bone-shaped piece and crushed it between his fingers.

Train's right leg suddenly gave out on him and he dropped to the ground, screaming in agony.

"You bastard! What did you do?"

"All of these pieces are vital areas on a human. I have a liver, a stomach, a heart and of course bones and other such things. I can destroy each of them at will! And slowly, painfully you will die...All from a simple children's toy! Ha ha ha ha!"

"Grr, like I'll just let you get away with that! I'll just have to kill you as fast as I can!" Train hopped on one leg, using his sword as a cane. Szayel watched and waited until he was within only a few steps and as soon as his left foot hit the ground, he broke that leg. Train's jump landed awkwardly and his leg bent and twisted under him, forcing him to fall. While he was down, Szayel walked over and stomped on his hands.

Ichigo darted around to the side in an attempt to ambush his foe, but Szayel's wings acted of their own accord and entrapped the fiery young youth. He was promptly spat out and a new doll was delivered to the evil scientist.

"Well, well, well. It seems you want to play this game as well. Alright then," The Espada tore the head off of the second doll and took out a handful of pieces. His finger's tightened around them and-

'BOOM!'

The doll was gone. The pieces rained down all over the battlefield like confetti. Szayel stared wide-eyed at the mangled mess that had become of his hands. Both of them had been decimated by an unseen force. He turned around and glared at Train who was lying on his side, Hades' barrel still smoking.

"Y-You! You insignificant little insect!" Szayel looked down and saw the Train doll lying at his feet. His face contorted in rage and he stomped on it with so much force that the ground beneath it splintered and broke apart. "Die! Die! Die!"

As the dust cleared the madman noticed his doll was no-where to be seen. Not even a scrap was left. His hideous scowl warped once more into a sickening smile and he let out a boisterous laugh. That was until he heard a familiar foe laughing along with him. His face twitched and he stared angrily at what would be left of the Black Cat...

...Only to find him still in one piece! And still alive!

"What? H-How are you-" Pain shot through the arrancar's spine as his wings were sliced clean off. Fountains of dark red blood spurted out from the remaining stumps. "AAARGH!" He swung his mangled fist at his second assailant but Ichigo flash stepped around to the front and waved the Train doll in his face.

"Looking for this?" He asked, smirking.

Szayel cursed under his breath and reached for his sword, but before he could do so Ichigo's jet black katana pierced his centre mass. His eyes narrowed and his furious outburst became nothing more than a gargled roar as blood pooled in his mouth. His body trembled and he collapsed to his knees, glaring at his most hated foes with the utmost contempt.

"It's over." Ichigo roared. "You twisted games are over!"

"And no matter what, we won't let Eve become a monster like you! We will save her and we will bring her back to her senses!"

Szayel's lips curled up into a wicked grin at that. His shoulders bounced as he let out a final wave of raucous laughter.

Ichigo silenced him with a swift slash of his sword, but even as the Espada turned to ash, his mocking laughter echoed around the great hall. His sickening, taunting beared down upon them like the booming voice of God.

"Grr, shut up! Shut up!" Train howled, firing wildly into the air.

It wasn't until he had calmed down and the room had become gripped by a deathly silence when they finally realized...

Eve was gone...

* * *

Ulquiorra bowed before Aizen who sat atop his grand stone throne. "Lord Aizen, Szayel has fallen."

Aizen just smiled, "Yes, it appears so. It seems he was too confident in his abilities. He should have known not to under-estimate them."

"My lord, what shall we do?"

Aizen considered this with a complacent smile etched upon his features. He leaned back and took a sip from his tea before letting out a deep sigh. "Let them come! I look forward to meeting them."

"And what of the girl?" Ulquiorra pressed.

"Bring her back. She has done well for now. She has proven herself worthy. In fact, now that Szayel is dead...I have an idea." His smile was venomous.

* * *

Rukia's eyes widened. She had sensed something odd and so she had spent her time concentrating, homing in on the fluctuating reiatsu within the palace walls. An unfamiliar presence had just been extinguished and an all too familiar spirit was blazing.

There was no doubt about it. That intense spiritual pressure belonged to the substitute shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki. There were others too. The others were more faint, but she could sense them nonetheless. It must have been...

"Eve?" Rukia whispered through the stone wall. She waited for a response, but all she could hear was weak, gentle sobbing. It had been the only sounds to stir from Eve's cell in what had felt like days.

"Eve?" Rukia repeated, louder this time.

A light sniffle and then, a soft reply. It was not a word, merely a passive hum, but it was enough of a signal to show she was listening. Rukia pressed herself up against the wall and explained in a hushed voice.

"Eve, I think we're going to be rescued!"

Eve fell silent. When there was no further response Rukia panicked. "Eve? Eve are you alright?"

"Yes..." Came a frail sigh, barely discernible from the harsh winds that lashed against the cell walls all night.

"Ichigo is on his way...And...Train. They are coming to save us!"

Eve barely waited for her to finish before asking, "And Sven?"

Rukia focused and tried to find his reiatsu, but she found nothing, not even a faint sliver. She frowned, "I'm sorry. I don't think he's with them...But look on the bright side! When we get out of here you can still go back and see him-"

"No." Eve interjected, "I can't..."

"Why not?"

"..."

It was best not to probe further. Rukia decided to shift the topic and cheer her up. They had not received any good news for so long. This was like an early Christmas present...Or maybe it was Christmas? It had been so long she could no longer tell. In a world of perpetual night time has no meaning.

"Well...Just hang in there! I promise you we will get out of here! Ichigo and Train will burst in here and knock down all the bad guys. Then they will say something silly and we'll all laugh. Then...Then we will all go home..." Rukia smiled at her childish little story. She doubted it would be that simple, but the weak sense of hope she had come so close to abandoning, had finally been given new life and now she clung to it like flotsam from a sinking ship. She promised herself she would not drown! She promised she would survive...To see him again.

_Ichigo...I knew you would make it...But please...please be careful..._

* * *

The fiery-haired youth lifted Sven up onto his shoulders and marched onwards. Creed carried Train over his back. Together they passed through the immense hall through the narrow door-way at the far end. The found themselves in a thin, winding corridor and with no other option they pushed forward. It was a slow march but they struggled on knowing full well that time wasn't on their side. Also, the news of Szayel's death would no doubt have spread throughout Las Noches. The other Espada would certainly be on the move.

They had to find Rukia and Eve and set them free before they ran into any more Espada. It was a stupid plan, of course there would be guards for the prisoners, but it was their only option. Their encounter with the mad doctor and the brainwashed Eve had cost them severely Train could no longer walk and Sven was barely clinging onto life. There was no-one around to treat them and so they were left with only two able bodied warriors left, facing off against Aizen and his army of arrancar.

Fear and doubt shattered their crumbling resolve, but still, Ichigo's fierce determination drove him onwards. He would not accept defeat unless he was already dead, but he was damn sure not to let that happen!

_I...I _will _survive! I _will _rescue Rukia! And I _will _stop you Aizen!_

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Please review.


	15. Cat Fight

**14:** **Cat Fight**

Well you've been waiting long enough. Here is the next chapter! Enjoy and review!

* * *

The weary group marched on through the eternally winding corridors. There seemed to be no end to them, stretching on into infinity. Ichigo cursed under his breath and took another tentative step forward, then another.

_Just one step at a time...That's all I can do. I can feel it. I'm close!_

After hours of fruitless marching they came upon a door, a large great iron door truly befitting of a palace. The group all looked to one another and nodded. With a great heave, Ichigo barged through the door and into a large hall beyond.

The walls were a dull blue/green, bathed in the dim light of the moon which broke through thin slits near the ceiling. Across the walls were small windows, only letting in enough light to see where you were going. At the end of the hall was another large iron door, like the one they had just passed through, no doubt leading deeper into Las Noches.

Ichigo set down his wounded companion and studied the empty room. He could hear sounds, faint sounds, so soft he could barely tell whether or not he was just imagining them. He glanced to the others with a frown.

"Do any of you hear something?" he asked.

"I hear nothing." Creed replied sharply.

"No..." Train groaned.

Sven stayed silent. Head still bowed. He had regained consciousness back in the corridors but his strength was still fleeting. He was trying to recuperate for the inevitable battles to come. He decided to refrain from moving and speaking, focusing silently upon the events which had transpired earlier.

Eve's betrayal had struck him harder than her blades ever could. He could not understand. Why? Why had she joined ranks with the Espada? Was she lonely? Afraid? Did she truly despise him for altering her path in life?

"Eve..." He muttered aloud.

"Oh shut up!"

All eyes were instantly on the door on the far end. The great portal swung open and a lone figure stomped into the hall. His face was indistinguishable from such a great distance, but he had striking blue hair and a voice as sharp as a blade.

Sven knew instantly who it was. How could he forget the man who very nearly took his life?

"Grimmjow!" He snarled.

Grimmjow strolled forward casually as if he was entirely unaware of the opponents assembled before him. He grinned mercilessly and twirled a hand about as he spoke, "Eve this, Eve that. Do you ever shut up? No wonder she hates you!"

"How dare you?" the sweeper roared, still shaking on his feet.

Grimmjow was amused. "Well, well, that perked you up didn't it? Ha! I never thought you would drag your sorry ass back for another beating! And hey it must be my lucky day because you brought some buddies with you!" He glared at Ichigo, "And you're here as well! It's like a family reunion isn't it? But soon enough it's going to be a funeral!"

"Where is Eve?" Sven demanded, taking a step towards the blue-haired psychopath.

"Huh? Your little girlie friend is just in there!" Grimmjow gestured back to the door he had passed through, "The cells are all back there. But if you wanna go get them you're gonna have to get past me first!" Without another word Grimmjow drew his sword. "Come! Let's get this party started!"

Ichigo moved to advance but felt something holding him back. He craned his neck over his shoulder to meet Sven's gaze. "Sven..."

"He's mine!" the veteran sweeper stepped forward, trembling as he did so. He leaned heavily on one leg, limping across the battlefield. He was in no condition to fight, but there was no convincing him to back down. This was a fight for his own honour, for Eve's honour. Sven deserved the right to duel his most hated foe.

Ichigo decided to lie in wait in case any more enemies decided to sneak up on them. If what Grimmjow had said was true, that the captives were held just beyond the hall, then surely they were at the heart of Las Noches. The Espada could ambush them at any moment if they had a mind to. They had to move fast. If Grimmjow held out long enough then reinforcements would arrive and it would be game over for them all.

"Alright, Sven! Let's do this! It would have been fun to hunt you down myself, but it's more fun to watch you stupid fools stick your head in the lion's mouth! I'll gladly end your dumb little quest and then it will be off to Soul Society to finish the rest of them off!"

"What?" Train gasped, "You mean...The war is..."

"We had originally planned on departing much later, a few months at least. However your little stunt has taught us something. The element of surprise is the greatest weapon. But greater still is having the numbers to back it up!"

"You don't mean-"

Grimmjow cackled like a hyena, "Your little raiding party is fucking useless! What can a measly four people do against such overwhelming forces? Nothing! But if Aizen were to send out his entire army at once then victory is assured!"

"You bastard! We won't let you reach Soul Society!" Ichigo roared.

"I don't need to. They've gang's already left!"

Before the startled group could react Grimmjow charged, racing across the open plain like a wild animal. Sven only just brought up his suit-case in time to guard against a ferocious upward slash from the madman. The force knocked him back a few steps and without time to counter Grimmjow launched his assault, hacking and slashing at the case with all he had.

"Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! DIE! Die you stupid piece of shit!" The arrancar's voice was dripping with malice, assuming a beastly tone, unlike his previous calm. It seemed blood-lust had driven him wild.

Sven ducked under a horizontal slash rolled past the subsequent downward chop. Grimmjow spun on his heels and brought his sword around in a complete circle but Sven slammed the flat of his suitcase into the path of the blade, throwing him off guard and halting his maddening onslaught. With an opening at hand Sven moved in for the kill, bludgeoning the psychotic beast with his weaponised luggage carrier.

Grimmjow was sent flying, landing in a heap several metres away. He recovered quickly, crawling up onto all fours with his sword between his teeth. His eyes became alight with animalistic rage and with a bestial battle cry Grimmjow lunged for his prey.

Sven flicked the switch under the handle and a small gun barrel poked out of the side of his case. He pressed down on the trigger and a rain of lead pelted the baying blood-hound, throwing him back onto his haunches.

Once again he countered quickly, rushing off again without any hesitation. Sven had no choice but to dive out of harm's way as Grimmjow danced about like a lunatic, swinging his sword wildly. There was no predicting his movements and Sven soon found himself backed up against the wall. He flipped open the case and retrieved the two daggers from inside. As the beast moved closer he drove them both into his centre mass.

Grimmjow spluttered and snarled, stumbling back, the blades still embedded deep in his chest. His eyes darted about and his teeth gnashed uncontrollably in fit-like episodes.

"Sven, quickly! We can't waste any more time here!" Train called from the sidelines. He was clenching Hades within his white-knuckled hands just in case.

Meanwhile Sven was having trouble standing. His burst of adrenaline was wearing off and now he was getting dizzy. Everything was getting blurry but still he reached for the trigger of his case. He took careful aim, taking longer than usual to line up his shot with the wobbling blue smudge in his field of vision. He took his aim and pressed down on the trigger.

The blue smudge disappeared.

Sven felt hot breath misting across the back of his neck. He whirled around as fast as he could, but in doing so his head started spinning. He stumbled and fell on his back, dropping his weapon in the process. As a last resort he reached into his coat and drew his silver pistol but a vice-like grip enclosed around his wrist and wrenched it around behind his back.

Grimmjow growled like a caged lion, "That wasn't very nice! I forgot you liked to play dirty! I should have known you were hiding those damned toys in that case of yours!" The wild warrior pulled both blades out from his body and threw them aside. His fingers were soaked in his own blood which he lapped up like a cat would with milk. His grin only spread wider.

"That hurt you know! I'm gonna have to repay you for that little trick! How about an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth? Since you cut me and shot me, surely it's only fair that get to _cut you in half_!" Grimmjow raised his sword high but it was blown out of his hand.

Before he could find his intrusive assailant he was kicked hard in the side of the head and sent spinning across the battlefield. In his place, train stood protectively over his long-time friend.

"Don't over-do it next time Sven. You always used to get angry at me for doing that, I never thought _I _would have to remind _you _that!"

"Ha...I must be getting rusty then." Sven murmured.

"You've done your part. Let me finish this. Besides, I've got a bone to pick with this psychopath!" Train grinned as he brandished his trusty Hades in one hand and a glistening katana in the other. "Alright Grimmjow, you wanted a party! Well now it's my turn! Let's see how you like this!"

With a great battle-cry, Train raced off to meet his foe.

The beast leapt up onto his feet and stared down his new opponent. He licked his lips and smiled, eagerly awaiting his next bout.

Train brought his sword down with thunderous force, creating an earth-shattering shockwave which brought the room down around them. Grimmjow forced the young man off of him and dealt a vicious stab aimed at his stomach. Luckily Train managed to manoeuvre around it and swat the blade away with his gun. He sought to take advantage of the opening but Grimmjow merely let his sword fly out of his hand and used his bare fist to deal a powerful blow to his foe.

Train was rocked back by the impact and struggled to regain his footing. Grimmjow kept up the assault and smacked his elbow against the side of his head, spinning around 180 degrees before thrusting his back leg out. Train was knocked back further into the crumbling wall and as he struck the cracking piece of stone Grimmjow pounced, driving his shoulder into the flesh of Train's gut. The wall collapsed around them, raining large pieces of debris. Grimmjow just howled, the sound piercing the air and forcing everyone around him to cower.

The great howl even managed to break apart the falling boulders, reducing them to pebbles and dust which cascaded down around him as he laughed manically.

"Is this it? Is this all you've got? I haven't even released my ressureccion yet and you're already done for! Ha, and you thought you could bust in here and rescue the princesses? Fucking idiots!"

A small hand clasped around his collar and clenched. Train kept his head bowed as he growled, "You are the fool! You fight blindly, with no purpose. You have no heart to guide you. You are just a feral cat and nothing more!"

"Bah! What bullshit!" Grimmjow buried his knee in Train's mid-section with enough strength to lift him up off of the ground. The poor young man dropped to the floor with a heavy thud.

"You think you can beat me because you have a heart? Don't make me laugh! Your heart is nothing more than a weak spot! Don't spout such idealistic nonsense to me!"

"Fine..." Train grunted, "I see words are pointless to a brainless hunting dog. I'll just have to show you through force!"

"What was that?" Grimmjow snapped, only to be answered with a point-blank shot to the empty cavity where his heart would have been. Blood spurted out of the wound, spreading crimson stains further across his white uniform. He grit his teeth and snarled, preparing to counter-attack.

But Train was already one step ahead of him.

Swing his sword like a bat Train unleashed a mighty cry of defiance and hacked into his opponent's chest. A deep gash opened up and blood gushed out in thick red torrents. Grimmjow's eyes widened in shock and for a moment his grin faltered, but in a matter of seconds he was foaming at the mouth and cackling madly once again.

"Excellent! Excellent! Now this is fun!"

Grimmjow opened the palm of his hand and shot off a blast of blazing red energy. Train could not dodge it in time and was struck full force, thrown far across the battlefield to land in a heap in the corner. Grimmjow retrieved his sword and moved to hunt down his prey.

Meanwhile, standing away from the bloodbath was Creed, fixated on the two duelling warriors. One fought with the weakening ember of passion and the other fuelled by his malevolent thirst for death and destruction. One fought because he had to, the other fought because he _wanted_ to, because he _enjoyed _it!

One had accepted battle as a necessary sacrifice to attain peace, the other saw violence as a game, a blood sport with highest of stakes, their very lives.

One combatant fought with determination in their eyes. An admirable glow, but entirely surpassed by the blazing fury of his opponent.

"Fascinating..." Creed whispered in a hushed whisper. He couldn't help but overhear a symphony in the back of his mind. They brought back bitter memories of a chapter of his past he wished to see never again repeated. He shook the damning thoughts from his head and returned his undivided attention to the fierce battle between two entirely different warriors.

Train had risen, merely to be knocked down flat again by the overwhelming power behind Grimmjow's sword swing. He quickly bounced back and pounced, arcing his own blade upwards in a high strike. Grimmjow backed away from the path of the sword and drew his weapon back, thrusting it forward with tremendous strength.

Train brought up Hades and used it as a shield, the blade bouncing off of the orichalcum encased pistol. As Grimmjow edge forward Train slid past him until he was standing behind the blue-haired fiend. He glanced off three rounds simultaneously but Grimmjow wrenched his blade around with lightning fast reflexes and slicesd each bullet in half. He immediately launched a counter and threw himself at the young warrior.

Train rolled onto his back and kicked out with his legs, throwing Grimmjow over his head and into the wall. He rolled about and flipped onto his feet, scanning the dusty wreckage for his foe.

Grimmjow burst forth from the rubble and hacked down on his opponent. Train brought up his sword just in time but was forced down on one knee by the astounding strength behind the impact. He struggled to hold Grimmjow off, but it seemed the arrancar's strength was overpowering his own. His own sword was pressed up against his throat, pressing down on his flesh.

Sweat poured down his face as train exerted all he could in pushing Grimmjow back. Amused at his efforts, his assailant doubled his own efforts and pushed down harder. Train's knee sank through the ground, breaking through under the stress. He was slowly getting pushed into the floor.

"Ugh! Help me! Don't just stand there!" Train cried to his companions.

Ichigo took a step forward but was blocked by the figure of Creed.

"I shall go."

Ichigo withdrew and squatted down beside Sven, checking up on him.

Train held off as best he could, listening to the pounding footsteps getting closer and closer with each passing second. The blades were digging into his throat now. He could feel blood trickling down to his collar bone. His hands were shaking, unable to hold out much longer.

The footsteps were only a few metres away now. So close.

_Almost..._

Grimmjow pushed down harder. Train felt the biting pain of steel as it bit down against his neck.

_Hurry!_

'Shunk!'

The blades against his throat dropped back.

Grimmjow backed away, his eyes wide. He looked utterly shocked. His chest was splattered in fresh blood, a promising sign. Train tried to laugh but instead of words, blood bubbled up out of his throat and oozed out between his lips and down his chin. Suddenly the room was spinning.

It was hard to stand.

Train dropped down onto both knees and glanced down at the bloodied piece of steel protruding from his stomach. He began to tremble, fear seizing hold.


	16. Creed Diskenth

**15:** **Creed Diskenth**

Train stared wide-eyed at the glistening steel blade which had pierced him. His head was spinning, his muscles seizing up and he could feel blood pooling in the back of his throat. He was in agony. This pain was intense, as if the blades edge was coated in salt. The wounds seemed to burn, stinging like acid.

"I knew it! You hadn't changed at all! The Black Cat wouldn't have let that happen. I thought this battle would have brought you back to your senses but all it has done is made you weaker!"

"Ugh...W-What..." Train's eyelids were fluttering.

"The Black Cat seems to have died long ago. It's only fitting that the weak shell he left behind be destroyed as well!"

"C-Creed?" Train coughed violently, thrown down onto his hands and knees.

"I'm afraid your little spell has worn off Train." Creed kicked his former idol onto his stomach and drew the blade out from his back. He studied the blood stains and ran his tongue along its edge. "Your blood is as sweet as ever. Such a shame, I would have loved to see the Black Cat free the princesses and unleash his fury upon that Aizen fellow, but the man I worshipped is long gone! I thought I saw that spark in your eyes, but I guess it was just the after-glow!" He kicked the downed assassin once more.

"Creed what did you do?" Ichigo was already rushing to the scene but something collided with him, something with the force of train at full speed. Ichigo was knocked off his feet and sent sprawling across the floor.

Grimmjow stood over him, triumphant. "I've got no idea what your buddy is trying to do, but while they sort out their little lovers spat I'm gonna finish you off once and for all! I'll pick their scraps clean when they are finished. But you're first!"

He laughed maniacally as he brought his sword down but Ichigo rolled aside and slashed at his ankles. Grimmjow leapt up high but Ichigo managed to flash step behind him and knock him back down to the floor. He hesitated then, knowing full well that Train needed him, but Grimmjow was a bigger menace.

As he struggled to decide Grimmjow made the decision for him, slamming a fist deep in his gut. Ichigo coughed violently but still managed to smash his forehead against that of his foe. As they staggered about, dazed, Ichigo launched his attack. The two crossed swords, striking madly in a frenzy of sharpened steel. Both bore bitter grudges for the foe they had only known for a short time, but to each man his opponent was a fearsome obstacle in their quests.

Neither could back down and neither would gladly lay down their life for the other. They would battle to the death without question. With blades of tempered steel they would decide each other's fate.

Meanwhile Creed stood over Train, the murderous gleam in his eyes back once again. It seemed erasing his powers had done nothing to cure his mental instability.

"I remember what you did to me that day. You mocked me and refused our chance of glory. You were blinded by the words of that stupid little cow! You betrayed me and took away everything I ever had!"

"Creed, I never betrayed you. I saved you...From yourself." Train groaned through gritted teeth.

"Lies! All lies! You stripped me of my powers and rendered me a frail and broken man! You were never there to help me when I was in pain! You were never there when I called out for you, when I begged for the Black Cat to save me! I struggled alone, every day encouraged by the hope that I could still catch that one last glimpse of the Black Cat in action. I learned to walk once again; I took up the sword and trained every single day! I swore to myself that I would one day find you and wake you up!"

"Why? Why can't you accept...This is my life now?"

"Because I know you Train! This is not you. This is the curse of that damned she-devil! Even now as she rots in the earth her insidious lies plague you so! You've been fighting it for so long Train, because I know the real you is still trapped in there somewhere!"

"You're wrong!"

"No! The day you visited me I swore it was the legendary assassin who had arrived. That is why I followed you! That is why I helped you. I thought I could reignite the flames that burn within your soul!" Creed shook his head and pointed his sword right between Train's eyes.

"I was wrong...That little girl has you as well. I see now that you are but a tainted rose, whose brilliance is marred by the straggling weeds around it. They have you in their grips now. It is too late. No matter how beautiful the rose might have been each time I try and pry the weeds away I am cut by your thorns. You do not appreciate all I have done for you nor do you wish to be free from these pathetic creatures and join me atop the heavens once again."

"Creed...I should have killed you back then!" Train leaned against his sword and struggled to stand. "I was wrong to think you could change...I know I promised Saya I would never take another life...But not avenging her death has haunted me for many long years. It is time to make you feel her pain!"

Train suddenly became overwhelmed with a flood of strength, as if Saya's spirit was there behind him once again, offering him a shoulder to lean on as he rose to his feet. He could see her then standing by him, clutching his hands tight. She looked upset, but she slowly nodded her ascent and smiled weakly. She tried to speak but no words came out. With that she was gone, but it was enough for Train to steel himself. His eyes blazed, burning embers of rage embedded within his skull. His expression drew blank and slowly he assumed a fighting stance.

Creed chuckled to himself, his lips curving up into a sinister smile. "There you are! I've missed you Black Cat! Now fight me! Show me the strength you have been hiding for all these years! Unleash him upon the world and drown your enemies in blood! Kill, kill and kill again! Leave nothing but death in your wake! Spread the curse of the thirteenth number, the ill omen, the dreaded Black Cat!" Creed howled with laughter. His mirth was sickening, only serving to fuel Train's anger.

"Fine," he snarled, "I'll show you your precious Black Cat. Enjoy it while it lasts because it will be the last sight you ever see!"

"Then I shall die happy, now come! Face me Train! Cast off the shackles of that oppressive whore and _fight_!"

He knew he was just falling for his taunts, but Train did not care. He knew he was going against everything he had believed in, everything he had been fighting for, but for just this one time...None of that would matter. Creed had long been a thorn in his side, a pain he had struggled with for so long. He believed he could let him live, let him redeem himself. But now the truth had come to light. Creed's image of a man who had learned his lesson and wished to save himself was nothing but a facade. Behind his cold eyes there still reigned a vicious creature, turned into a ravenous bloodthirsty demon by the childish vice of jealousy.

No more. As much as Train had loved Saya's way of life he saw now that it could not work, not always. He would bear the shame of breaking his oath if only to protect his own pride. If only to save what was precious to him. He would save Creed, save him from the cancerous ideals that had rotted him from within. He would save Creed from his cursed existence and set him free.

Creed would find release only in death and so the Black Cat bared his fangs and drew his weapons.

The two charged at one another, colliding with a thunderous explosion. Swords clashed and shots were fired. Amidst a screen of smoke and dust a battle was raging. As it dispersed the two assassins came into full view.

Train pushed himself beyond his limits to swing the sword back and forth in a furious string of relentless attacks. Creed brushed them off with a malicious smile ever planted on his features. Train only grew more furious at his former comrade's nauseating smile. With a fierce battle cry Train doubled his efforts, causing his wounds to spew blood over himself. Nonetheless he fought on, ignoring the pain and the exhaustion.

"More!" Creed cried excitedly, "More, more, more, MORE!" I can see it in your eyes! The Black Cat! It is the Black Cat! Mwahahahaha!"

"Shut up!" Train roared, opening fire upon him.

Creed sliced the bullets into tiny pieces and stepped forward, gracefully swinging his sword in a wide arc. Train ducked back and fired once more, emptying the clip on his foe. Creed merely swayed back and forth, from side to and dodged each one.

As Train became weary and tired, Creed seized his chance and slashed across his chest, sending a fountain of dark crimson to spurt forth from the deep trench carved in his flesh. The Black Cat stumbled and fell on his knees, cursing his weakness in the face of an opponent he had managed to defeat so many times in the past.

_Why? Why can't I defeat him? I never struggled to defeat him before. Why now is he so strong? He doesn't have any powers! Why can't I beat him dammit! Why?_

"Train, you've underestimated me for quite some time now. You always thought of me as ill of mind and spirit. You thought I was nothing more than a psychopath. You always thought you were better than me, even when you were a weak little kitten in the hands of that succubus! You overlooked something very important didn't you?"

Creed paced back and forth casually, dabbing salt in the wound for his foe.

"I worshipped you Train! I watched you fight, entranced by your power! I analysed your every move! I learned everything about you! I know you better than anyone! I even taught you how to use the sword! I know every move you've ever used in combat! I know your reflexes for any given situation. I understand the way you think, the way you fight! With no powers to support me I trained night and day, perfecting your style of combat! As I was teaching you the way of the sword I always watched you practice. I learned of your new fighting style and analysed every movement, every attack! I know your every move Train!"

Train cursed under his breath and stood back up. He was panting heavily, struggling to breathe with his terrible injuries, but the caged beast within was still baying for blood.

With grim determination Train stepped forward and reloaded his trusty pistol, Hades.

"I don't care. Even if you know my moves I will still defeat you."

"I welcome you to try!"

"I will defeat you Creed! Because I _have _to! Grrrrraaaaggh!" Train charged head-on and once again Creed lazily extended his sword to block it, anticipating it perfectly; however he did not count on the strength behind Train's attack and was thrown back regardless.

With eyes wide in shock, Creed managed a dry chuckle, "Marvellous! Even when cornered, the Black Cat still manages to strike fear in the hearts of his opponents. Just a little more. A little more and the Black cat will finally be free!"

Train grit his teeth and opened fire, shooting three times in rapid succession. The bullets soared across the battlefield in a tiny triangular shaped cluster, so close they looked like one bullet. Creed sneered at this and prepared to hack down upon them, but as his sword clashed with the bullets they each exploded like miniature grenades.

"Burst bullet!" Train declared proudly, racing across the battlefield and running his sword through Creed's side. Rather than force a cry of agony, or even a curse, Creed just laughed, his sickening unnaturally joyful laugh.

"Excellent!" Creed cried, "I had forgotten about those special little toys of yours! What is next? Will your next shot make me freeze? Ha ha! How fun!"

Enraged, Train tried to club him with the gun but Creed caught his wrist and used his free hand to impale his opponent on his own sword. The two stood together amidst the sudden silence of the battlefield, both impaled upon each other's blades.

Both men looked to the other, no sign of pain or remorse. One gazed thoughtfully at his foe and the other scowled, burning with anger.

Creed's hands dropped by his side and he smiled thinly, "This...This is what I wanted...To die together with my Black Cat. To drown in each other's blood and fall in glorious battle side by side...Together..." the madman never wished more than to laugh at his predicament but only a strangled wheeze escaped his parched lips.

Train glared at him with eyes alight like candles, still burning strong. He did not laugh, nor did he cry. He just stared at Creed and whispered quite softly, "Sorry Creed but I can't die just yet."

A mixture of confusion and betrayal crossed Creed's features then and he made to protest but was silenced when Hades was pressed against his heart. Suddenly he went rigid and his eyes narrowed upon the figure of his opponent.

"You wanted to see the Black Cat right? Well here I am. Now I'm afraid I've got to deliver some bad luck."

Creed's eyes became clouded by tears as the deafening blast echoed around the chamber. The madman was thrown back a few steps where he stood silent, frozen. As tears slid down his cheeks he smiled weakly. Slowly, he fell down to his knees and then doubled over.

He was free at last...

* * *

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	17. Reunion

_**16:** **Reunion**_

Train stood still, paralysed by his revulsion at what he had done. He had taken a life. He had sworn to Saya that he would never kill again. He promised to atone for what he had done. But now...Now he had broken that sacred oath and gone against the wishes of his beloved Saya.

He stared down at his hands and then to the ever smiling face of his deceased foe. Even in death Creed's smile prevailed. It seemed being slain by the Black Cat truly was an honour for him. After all it was what he had always wanted. It was what he had gone to such great lengths to achieve.

It was Creed's reason for killing Saya...

Train's eyes soon narrowed at his grim realisation. The purpose he was fighting for just then was not for Saya's sake. It did nothing to avenge her death. No, it had done nothing but satiate Creeds twisted desires. All he had done was grant Creed's wish.

He had never atoned for what he had done. He never said sorry. He still stood up for the atrocities he had committed back then...

Train bowed his head in shame. Now he would never be able to settle things properly. He had reacted out of blind anger and killed Creed. There was nothing Train had wanted more than to make Creed suffer for what he had done, but this...This was not how it was supposed to be!

This was all wrong!

The Black Cat had consumed him. He had lost himself to the darkness. He had become the very beast he swore was banished forever, long since dead.

Train had failed. He failed to live up to his promise, only bringing shame to himself and the girl he loved. He had killed his former rival in cold blood and abandoned his friends to be killed by the real enemy and now he was too badly wounded to be able to stop Aizen.

Everything had gone wrong. Everything was collapsing around him. The walls he had built around himself to shield his darkened soul from the light had now shattered, crumbling away to ashes before his very eyes.

The Black Cat's cage had vanished.

And now more than ever, Train was furious. Enraged at the world that had taken so much and his own failures. There was nothing left to do but to finish what he had started and rescue Eve and Rukia from Aizen's clutches. They were so close. He had to finish this, even if it killed him.

_I will save you!_

Train glanced over to where Grimmjow and Ichigo were duelling. Ichigo seemed to be holding his own but he was getting nowhere in overpowering the psychotic blue-haired warrior. He wasn't too badly hurt but he hadn't landed a single scratch on Grimmjow yet either.

There wasn't any more time to waste on such trivial matters.

As Ichigo and Grimmjow fought on a vague shadow appeared behind them. A flickering blur of movement caught their attention but only when it was too late. Ichigo immediately went into a defensive stance but Grimmjow was barely aware of the figure behind him and was caught unaware.

A blade arced diagonally down from his left shoulder to the opposite hip. Blood spat out from the hideous wound and the madman was sent stumbling off into the distance. As he slowly caught his bearings he set his sights on his new opponent.

"Argh! Fuck! Since when did the pussy cat grow some fangs?" Grimmjow snarled with a derisive grunt. He spat on the floor and cursed, "You damn cowards! Ganging up like a pack of dogs! Fight me face to face like a real warrior!"

A shadow suddenly covered him and a lone figure stood right before him, moving with imperceptible speed.

Grimmjow stared into the golden embers of the Black Cat himself now suddenly ablaze with an aura of unimaginable strength. His jaw dropped and he staggered back but there was nothing but a wall behind him.

"I'm sorry," Train whispered, his hollow stare penetrating the fiendish barbarian, "I don't have time to waste on trash like you!"

A deafening thunderclap echoed around the room. A gunshot louder than the atomic bomb rang out through the gutted remnants of the hall and the Espada known as Grimmjow was no more. His life had been cut short by a lone bullet embedded deep within his skull leaving only a smouldering hole and thin oozing trail of blood from between his eyes.

Train watched as the corpse went limp and dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. Another life taken. Another sin to later atone for. But for now there was only one thing he had to do. One final mission to accomplish at any and all costs:

Rescue the princess.

If need be he would apologise to Saya in person...In the afterlife.

Sven crawled forward on hands and knees, soon supported by an exhausted Ichigo. The two of them glanced over at Train and moved towards the great door at the end of the hall. Train did not assist them. He led the way, limping towards the great obstacle before him. With one slash of his sword the heavy wooden door collapsed inwards and the Black Cat strolled through into the next room.

A room of the same dull grey of the rest of the palace and seemingly identical with everything else they had encountered. The only difference was the row of thick stone doors along the wall opposite. Train stepped forward and placed his hand on the nearest door, bowing his head and closing his eyes.

Faint sounds of a girl weeping emanated from within. The mournful cries brought Train back to his senses, if only a little. He hacked down against the spirit-absorbing stone and carved around the lock to allow the door to open. As it creaked open with the grating scream of a vengeful ghost a darkened void was revealed beyond.

A shadow moved.

Train reflexively reached for his gun but soon relaxed at the familiar sight of a young woman with jet black hair and deep blue eyes, scrambling towards the light she no doubt had lived without for many endless nights.

"Rukia!" Ichigo's voice creaked, straining from the lack of strength he wished for to display his love for her. Clumsily he staggered forward and together they fell into each other's arms. They shared frail bursts of laughter amidst wracking sobs, holding each other close and basking in the indescribable warmth they shared.

Rukia buried her face in Ichigo's shoulder and wept as he stroked her glossy black hair and whispered soothingly to comfort not only her, but himself too. His arms ensnared her in a tight embrace, one which he would be likely to release any time soon.

Instilled by the hope of their reunion, Sven and Train moved to the next door and listened in for signs of life. Silence answered them but regardless Train broke through into the dark little cell and stood on the brink of the abyss, searching for a sign of life.

There was neither movement nor any sound. But it was not empty. Curled up into a ball, tucked neatly away in the corner there lay an angel, with sweeping, golden waves of purest silk and delicate porcelain features. Her pale cheeks encrusted with dust, swept clean by thin trails of tears long since dried. With a serene expression of unnatural calm, the angel slept. Her once beautiful robes lines with fine lace, often of the deepest of black had been badly damaged, a far cry from the perfect and unspoiled figure who that wore them.

A sight like no other, this was a true angel. The sweetest treasure on this very earth, the precious young girl who had brought light to a world of darkness. There was no mistake...

Sven ran to her side, tripping along the way but hobbling on with grim determination. He dropped by her side and cradled her resting form. He laughed like a fool and cheered as he held her close. There was no resisting hugging her, even if it opened up his wounds...

The wounds she had inflicted...

Sven hesitated. He suddenly held her off at an arm's distance and stared at her as if the clues were there written all over her face. He felt a burning pain where Eve's very own blades had carved through him in a remorseless display of violence.

But still...Even knowing what had happened. Even after feeling Eve's blades burying themselves in his flesh. Even after looking into those sad eyes, that forlorn expression...

He knew it wasn't her. At least that was what he told himself. He couldn't be sure if it was just his imagination and his unshaken love for Eve that drove him to trust her completely, but something in his heart told him that the girl he faced back then was not the same girl he held in his arms.

Sure, her hair was like golden twine, her face soft and marginally expressive, her voice quiet yet lyrical. Sure she wore the same black outfit and in any and all senses looked identical to the girl who had tried to kill him.

But even so Sven's heart detected something his eyes never could.

"Sven, be careful," It was Train who spoke, interrupting Sven's train of thought and bringing him back to reality. The two shared uneasy glances before Train added, "you never know..."

Sven couldn't stand to look at him then. He withdrew into the girl he held and hugged her closer, closing his eyes and living through all the memories they had shared. They cured his fears and only sought to further convince him that the Eve he knew and loved would never have tried to hurt him.

He remembered that time when they had first met, when she had been forced to attack him. He remembered those tears that flowed down from her cold, glassy eyes back then. He remembered the journeys they had gone through, against Creed, against Chronos, against Soul Society and even against Gaichu and his minions.

He remembered eating ice-cream at the park.

He remembered the festival...

"Sven?"

A voice as soft as the gentle whispers of the breeze woke him once again. It was a voice he recognized instantly. A voice that sparked a fire within him and brought a fragile smile to his face. He turned to the angel, her eyes half open, perfect marbled amethysts.

"Eve..." He wanted to say more but words failed him.

"Sven...You...Why did you come here?"

Those words stung. Train seemed to tense and held a hand over his holster. Sven still held her close, his expression hardening, "What? What do you mean by that?"

"Why...Why did you save me? After what I have done..." Eve turned away from him and frowned. "If I had not been so weak...If I wasn't so useless...This never would have happened."

Sven's eyes narrowed, "Eve you aren't weak! You are stronger than anyone I've ever known! No matter what happens you have always held out. You have always helped us fight. Without you to give us hope none of us would be alive today!"

Eve wiped away at the corner of her eyes and sniffed, "But...You aren't alive..."

Sven laid a hand on his heart and gasped. She was right. He had died. Out in the rain, out in the cold on that fateful night. He thought he had found Eve but it was all a cruel plot set up by Aizen. That night his life had ended. But...

"At your funeral...I only tried to save myself, but even then I couldn't do anything. I'm useless! The only person who actually has a use for me is Aizen and he only uses me to torture you further! You should have forgotten about me Sven!"

"I could never abandon you Eve! I would gladly suffer if it will mean you can be safe! I will never leave you Eve no matter what!"

"But all I have ever brought you is pain! Right from the beginning. Right when we first met all I have done is gotten you in trouble. Gotten you hurt...I'm worthless! I never should have dragged you into all of this."

"Dammit Eve listen to yourself!" Sven was shaking her now, "This is not the Eve I know! The Eve I know would never give up! She would never try and sever her ties with her family and hide! The Eve I know fights on to the bitter end! The Eve I know fights because she wants to protect the ones she loves! She doesn't shy away from battle and use her mistakes as an excuse to surrender. She just fights harder next time! The Eve I know is...Is..." Sven trailed off and brought the young girl closer. He whispered in her ear, begging with her, pleading with her, "Eve...I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted to upset you. Everything I did was because I wanted to keep you safe. I'm the useless one. But even so I will never give in! So I'm begging you...Don't ever doubt yourself Eve. You are perfect just the way you are...I am so proud...So proud of you. I'm glad I met you...You give my life meaning. You give me strength when I am weak and...I...I love you..."

"Sven..." Eve was struck by his words. They sparked feelings that she didn't understand. They confused her but it made her happy too. Her smile may have been thin but it felt remarkable to smile again. After an eternity of pain and suffering in captivity it felt good to smile, as if a floodgate had been lifted to let her bottled up emotions overflow. She embraced Sven and quietly sobbed.

A touching scene amidst the chaos of war. But the war was not yet over.

"Hmm, what a disgusting display of humanities weakness." an icy voice echoed across the hall.

From the damaged hall behind them a lone figure stepped forth. A ghostly creature from the realm of nightmares. A cold, expressionless ghoul with the pallor of the dead. A serpentine gaze settled upon the weary heroes and his frown twitched ever so slightly. Ulquiorra stopped just short of the group and stared at them in disgust.

"Blinded by human desires you stumble blindly into the heart of enemy territory. You endure unnecessary hardship for comrades better left abandoned. And now you huddle together like dying rats in what you consider to be affection. Such a pathetic species."

All eyes widened in terror. The worst of them all, a creature of pure evil stood before them. A final unbreakable obstacle. A grim spectre of death, come to collect their souls just as victory seemed at hand.

"You!" Ichigo snarled, "So you're Aizen's final rear guard?"

Ulquiorra didn't even blink. "I am not alone. Lord Aizen was quite adamant that you be allowed to die at the hands of his latest little pet. I believe you have already been acquainted."

With a sluggish wave of his hand Ulquiorra gestured for his comrade to step forward. A small shadow appeared from behind him and then stepped into the light. Much to everyone's disbelief there stood before them a mirror image.

An exact replica of Eve.

The second Eve raised her hand and watched it in hypnotic wonder as it morphed into a gleaming blade. Then with not even the slightest trace of expression she set her gaze upon the others and waited.

Ulquiorra waved his hand to the second Eve, "This girl is the single greatest weapon in existence. With the Hogyoku as well Aizen shall stand unopposed as he conquers the heavens. Now prepare yourselves for a most painful demise. In your final moments of your life you may regret. Regret the day you faced the ultimate killing machine..."

"Golden Darkness..."

* * *

I wonder how many of you understand the reference. Well anyway thank you for reading so far. Please review and share your thoughts. Whether it is encouragement or advice your comments are all important so please review. 


	18. Rescue

**17: ****Rescue**

Sorry for the agonising delays but I'm hoping to be able to get back into some regular updates for a while so hopefully things will improve. Anyway here is the next chapter, enjoy it! Remember to review!

The wounded band of heroes had finally rescued the princess and the damsel in distress. Hope had swelled within them all as they were reunited with the ones they loved. The pain of their now distant battles had become forgotten in the heat of the moment.

But now, now there was little hope.

Grimmjow had lied about Las Noches being abandoned. There were still two terrible opponents waiting for them. Now here they were, the Grim Reaper and his new assistant. Here they stood as a hurdle too high to pass in their wounded state.

The heroes banded together and stared at their foes with wide eyes. Eve was trembling, her frail little frame convulsing from something worse than the cold. She was hyperventilating, her cheeks flustered yet pale. Sven held her close and tried to calm her but she was a mess. Ulquiorra must have done some truly awful things to her to elicit such a reaction, but even so, Sven found himself shaking as well. But not because of the ghostly creature drifting beyond, no he was more terrified of the little girl standing stock still beside her cruel master.

Golden Darkness he had called her. She was a perfect clone of Eve. Every detail was the same, although she lacked the visible hints of exhaustion and fear that the original bore. Also, her clothes were different, a sleeveless black leather overcoat, with its irreparably torn edges sweeping the ground at her feet. The coat opened out below the waist to reveal a plain black skirt which fluttered in the dead breeze, the only part of her that had moved the entire time. Wide black sleeves covered her thin forearms, tied down with belts just below the elbow. More belts had been tied around her waist and yet even more where tied around her pale legs. A four pointed star had been cut out below her collar revealing pallid white skin beneath. The edges were inlaid with silver.

Cold eyes of pale violet stared out at them with a void unreadable mask on her face.

"Your current state prevents you from being a further problem to us and Lord Aizen. Even if we left you to your own devices you would all die of starvation or blood loss before too long. Still as a final courtesy for managing to get this far Lord Aizen has requested that you be given the honourable deaths you deserve. You shall all succumb to our latest weapon, Golden Darkness."

Sven cursed under his breath, "You bastard! Back when we were fighting that doctor...That was Golden Darkness wasn't it?"

"Of course," Ulquiorra stated bluntly, "Golden Darkness is a perfect weapon. She has a power far surpassing that of her original counterpart. She was constructed especially so that she lacks that useless organ you call a heart. Instead Szayel crafted another organ capable of producing further nanomachines."

"What?" Sven was taken aback.

"We studied the bodily structure of Eve and found she had an organ within her body which produces a steady stream of nanomachines to be transferred around her body to allow for rapid and continuous transformation. Without it Eve would be just an ordinary girl. It is that special organ that allowed her to become a living weapon. When creating Golden Darkness we duplicated this organ so that her capacity for transformation would be heightened. Aside from that the lack of a heart ensures she will never become dulled by the curse of your human emotions."

"You're a monster! How dare you play god with innocent lives!"

"Innocence, another pitiful excuse crafted by your worthless kind. You believe a girl born into this world for the sole purpose of warfare is innocent? Whether she has killed or not is irrelevant. Fate had dictated she would be a killing machine. Perhaps you think you spared her by taking Eve away from her predetermined life? But you are just fools. You forced her into your own little world and made her weak. You poisoned her mind with your pathetic ideals and now she is just as worthless as the rest of you. I gave her a choice to become stronger and yet because of your influence she declined. Now with Golden Darkness she will at last be able to witness the power she could have had if she were not burdened with your lies."

Train opened fire on Ulquiorra who simply swatted the bullets aside with his bare hand as if they were flies. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, "Golden Darkness, kill them."

The petite young girl's head rocked forward in a slight nod and then she vanished. The others dispersed just as a large blade crashed down upon the space where they had just been standing. Golden Darkness glanced down at the broad blade that jutted out from her elbow and then looked over to her prey. A slight smile crossed her face as she rushed in for another strike.

With her gaze locked on Train she charged and the assassin had little choice but to bear the brunt of her attack. He tried to swat aside the blade swinging towards him but his gun merely served to keep his arm attached and nothing more. He was knocked far aside into the wall, smashing into it with enough force to send a great crack along its length.

Golden Darkness stepped forwards again, her arm now a machete blade longer as tall as her own small frame. Her expression remained as immovable as stone as she hacked down upon the Black Cat.

Train rolled to one side and drove his sword through an opening, straight for the girl's heart. Golden Darkness did not dare move, merely allowed the blade to sink through her flesh and burst out below her shoulder on the other side. All eyes fell on the demoness as she silently gaped at her assailant. She didn't even appear to understand she had been wounded and slowly twisted her body around to face her opponent, disregarding the blade that had run straight through her.

"W-What the hell?" was all Train could utter before being struck with a sledge hammer. He spat out teeth and tried to curse but blood quickly pooled in the back of his throat and left him to putter hopelessly. His head was spinning now and he couldn't see straight. He could hear voices but he wasn't sure who it was that was calling out to him.

Then, before his eyes, she appeared again. Her speed was blinding, as if she had teleported. Normally Train could see through Shunpo, having faced enough opponents in the past, but he could barely even keep his eyes open now. He had no way of knowing. He was left to her mercy.

But Golden Darkness never attacked.

A loud thunder strike rebounded around the room and the cruel young princess was thrown off to one side, her cheek shattering from an unforseen force.

Sven took to the battlefield, still shaken from his wounds but determined nonetheless. His suitcase spat smoke out from the thin black gun barrel protruding from the side. He smiled to himself and lined up his next shot, just as Golden Darkness was picking herself up off the ground. When she was on her hands and knees Sven blew out her left elbow, the entire forearm almost coming loose. The girl dropped back down and hit the floor face-first. Sven approached cautiously and continued to fire at the first sign of movement. After a while Golden Darkness stopped moving and Sven was within only a few metres of his target. He found a switch near the handle and set the rifle in his suitcase to fully automatic and unleashed a violent spray of pure lead into the incapacitated monster.

Ulquiorra stood off to the side, vaguely amused by the show.

Meanwhile Sven continued to empty the clip into Golden Darkness, the bullets spitting dust up into the air until it obscured the mutilated corpse of the golden haired devil. Sven let go of the trigger when he was met with a loud 'click' and stood back to admire his handy-work.

As the dust cleared all eyes widened in shock.

Golden Darkness stood tall, not a scratch on her body! Even the wounds left by Train's sword had disappeared. The demon glanced up at her foes without any sign of pain, remorse or life. Her expression remained as dead as that of a doll's. Her eyes moved, but betrayed nothing.

"How? How did she-?" Sven was cut short when the girl appeared beside him, her arms already arcing around into a fatal blow. Sven cursed and opened the suitcase, reaching inside and bringing out two daggers and using each to fend off Golden Darkness' encroaching arms. The blades collided with a heavy thud and the force threw Sven back a few steps, fortunately out of the way of the sharpened pendulums. He gained his bearings in time to take up a defensive stance as the girl pounced with imperceptible speed.

Sven merely dive aside at random, knowing that standing still would mean certain death, however as he rolled into a crouch he backed into something and ducked just in time to save his head. The air swept past him as a broad blade arced over the top of his hat.

"Sven, look out!" Ichigo roared from the sidelines.

Sven took heed of his advice and changed his grip on the daggers so that the blades pointed out behind him. He then wrenched his arms back, wedging both blades beneath the psychotic clone's knees. He leaned forward and down and flicked the blades back, unable to resist wincing as a great 'crack' bounced around the hall.

Golden Darkness dropped and Sven tried to dive forward but something caught his ankle. Sven looked down and noticed the golden twine ensnaring his foot. He tried harder to scramble away but another rope of hair caught his other leg and left him clawing away at the stone floor of the palace in an effort to escape. But Golden Darkness' hold was too strong and he was soon to be dragged to his death. With no other choice He drove one of the daggers into the ground and held on with one hand while he turned to study his opponent. He squinted at Golden Darkness' forehead and drew his arm back before hurling the second dagger.

Golden Darkness was struck full in the forehead and her entire body shuddered in a violent spasm of pain. The girl lay sprawled on the floor but her hair did not unfurl from his feet. Sven quickly tried to cut through but the silky twine was like steel wire. He couldn't cut through it.

He cursed and attempted to untie it instead, seeing as the knots had come loose, but as he reached over his hands were suddenly caught in a golden web as well and soon his whole body was being dragged back towards the source, the possessed killing machine.

"Dammit, somebody help me!" he cried, just as Eve's fringe morphed into the snapping jaws of a dragon.

Ichigo quickly arrived to help, slicing through the trap and freeing Sven. He managed to flash step back to the others and set Sven down carefully before returning his attention to Golden Darkness.

"She's strong..." he muttered to no-one in particular, "She can heal herself in a matter of second and she can still transform...What the hell do I do?"

Rukia placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled thinly, "I'll make an opening for you, then you blast her with everything you've got!" She brought out her zanpakuto, relieved to finally be able to do so after being locked in a cell made of seki-seki stone for so long. Now that she was out of that cell her powers were slowly returning. She knew she wouldn't be at her strongest but at least she could create gap, just a couple of seconds was all she needed...

It was worth a shot!

She took up her sword in shaking hands and stepped forward. Golden Darkness studied her with cold eyes and morphed her hair into two scythe blades which spun in fierce circles of their own accord. Her hands turned to short swords and then she raced off to battle.

Rukia leapt high into the air and waited for the first scythe to come her. She raised her sword up high and brought it down with extreme force, slicing through the golden chain and leaving the weapon to collapse to the ground. As she continued to fall the second scythe blade shot out at her and Rukia brought her sword up high this time, knocking the blade high into the air and forcing Golden Darkness off of her feet. The angel of death hovered in mid-air but rather than register any sense of surprise she instantly launched her own attack, using the blades on her hands to break through Rukia's thin defences and go for the jugular.

Rukia thrust her palm out towards the girl and roared a quick incantation. In the next instant Golden Darkness vanished behind a wall of blue flame.

Rukia settled on the ground and watched Golden Darkness plummet. She took the time to prepare for her next attack and assumed a fighting stance. While her opponent was still distracted she flash-stepped behind her and sliced at the air, "Some no mai, Tsukishiro!"

Golden Darkness tilted her head in puzzlement as her body became encased in a pillar of ice. Rukia waited, sword held at the ready. It barely took a minute for the ice to crumble, the bio-weapon using her hair as tiny little drills to dig their way out. The pillar collapsed soon after and Golden Darkness was free. She lunged forward and clashed swords with Rukia, eager to test her after seeing the strange manoeuvre. The two girls clashed but Rukia was slowly overpowered and her guard weakened, leaving herself open to attack.

Golden Darkness capitalised on her victim's weakness and snap kicked Rukia's hands, forcing her to release her grip on her sword. Another fierce kick sent the sword hurtling off into the distance and while Rukia was stunned Golden Darkness jumped up and spun in a half circle before extending her leg and smashing her heel into Rukia's jaw.

The shinigami was sent spiralling into the wall and collapsed in a heap. In her exhausted state, Rukia did not get up.

"Rukia!" Ichigo cried, clenching his fists. Without thinking any further he charged head on at Golden Darkness and swung his sword in a wide arc. Golden Darkness's hair coiled around her back and formed an armour plating that made Ichigo's sword bounce right off and in the melee she spun on her heels and drove a fist into his gut. Ichigo coughed violently and failed to respond as her other fist, now a spear-head was buried into his stomach yet again.

Ichigo gagged as the weapon changed shape inside of his body, turning to a wickedly barbed head. He took hold of his sword but before he could do anything Golden Darkness wrenched her hand out, dragging with it scraps of flesh and buckets of blood.

Ichigo's jaw dropped and he soon collapsed to the floor, convulsing and shivering uncontrollably.

Golden Darkness stood triumphant over her victim and raised her left hand, now an axe, for the final blow. Her execution would be swift and painless, a slight glimpse of mercy from the cruel human weapon.

Without a word she brought her axe down, but the blade never reached Ichigo's throat, nor did the boy's head go rolling.

A sheet of red light devoured everything within her sight and in the next instant Golden Darkness was thrown into the wall. She landed in a curled up ball and crawled to her feet and when at last she scanned her surroundings, a new warrior was present. A warrior who stepped out from a great black hole and onto the battlefield. The warrior held an odd looking sword in one hand and took a striped hat in the other and bowed.

"Hello there, my name is Kisuke Urahara. I'm sorry to disrupt your little game of tag here, but it's about time my friends went back home."


	19. Invasion

**18: Invasion**

It's been way too long again, I'm so sorry! I know I promised more regular updates and that ship sank unfortunately but rest assured I have a few chapters in stock for a few regular updates now. Anyway thanks to everyone reading so far for being so patient. Enjoy and please review!

* * *

A harsh wind blew through Sephiria Arks long blonde hair. As the strands whipped about her face she struck them back with a swift brush of her hand. The other lay upon the hilt of the sword at her side; Christ, the saviour. The great blade entrusted to spare mankind and to deal the final blow in the greatest of battles. The blade was as much a part of her as her own flesh and blood.

"An unsettling breeze has stirred," the great captain commander of the Gotei 13 murmured from behind, "I do not like this."

Sephiria bowed her head, "The squads have been issued on high alert, but while our mobilisation is still under way we cannot be entirely ready for an attack. Surely Aizen won't strike at us so soon? He cannot be ready this quickly!"

"He's had a decade to prepare himself," Yammamoto explained, "He was ready long before he returned to warn us. He could have simply attacked us then and there, but Aizen is a menacing creature. He enjoys watching his prey squirm. He wanted to see panic in the eyes of my men more so than to simply crush them."

Sephiria's frown intensified. Having only seen the dreaded traitor once in the flesh she had not been given time to properly gauge his strength, but the fear in the eyes of the soldiers, even the captains, gave her room to fear.

She simply hoped that Aizen Sosuke's mythical strength was simply the stuff of legends and not fact.

Nonetheless Sephiria had supervised daily training regiments for all squads and organised the gradual mobilisation of a military force that far outshone Chronos even at its peak. An army consisting of the last of her loyal men and the bulk of the Gotei 13, an amassed legion of highly trained and efficient warriors. She was impressed, yet still a lingering doubt gnawed away at her in the back of her mind.

_Is this enough?_

The question that had continually been bearing down on her for what felt like eternity. The endless burden upon her shoulders, impossible to discard. The riddle she simply could not solve...

"Miss Arks," Yammamoto spoke with an air of calm beneath the rough grunt of his voice, "Are you prepared for the battle to come?"

Taken aback, Sephiria spun on her heels to face the withered old veteran, "Whatever do you mean?"

"Are you prepared, Sephiria? It is all well and good if the troops are ready, but even so, they are nothing without a strong commander. They look to warriors of esteem such as yourself as a symbol of their own strength. In battle, your doubts become their doubts, your fear, their own. If you stay your hand they will hesitate all the same. Whether the troops are mobilised fully or not, it does not matter, as long as their leader holds their head high. Your blade is the banner they will follow to the death Miss Arks. But only if you are ready to fight to the death yourself. And so I ask you, are you prepared?"

After a moment of stunned silence, she answered with conviction, "Of course Captain Commander."

The old man nodded and glanced past her and out beyond the balcony to the pale blue sky.

He felt uneasy, but made sure not to make it apparent. For the good of himself, his men and all of Soul Society he put on a brave face...

* * *

The sky cracked. Dark clouds rolled across a suddenly darkened sky. The cracking explosive sound of thunder crashed against the bolts of arcing light spitting down from an angry sky. As the air itself began to splinter and open up, the figures clad in white emerged.

All eyes below became fixated on the sky. Jaws dropped and screams billowed out across the battlefield. Swords were grasped and clung to as orders were roared upon deaf ears. The sight too astonishing to behold, all the preparations were forgotten. Everything was forgotten, only the will to survive remained, afloat amidst waves of unflinching terror.

The moment had arrived sooner than expected.

The war had already begun...

Aizen strode out ahead of his minions and scanned the realm of Soul Society beneath him. A thin, menacing smile crossed his features and he extended a hand to the stunned masses below.

"It is time. Advance. Show them your might and let them know fear!"

In the blink of an eye the horde of warriors standing atop the clouds vanished into thin air and before the shock could even be registered, fires surged up from the earth and pillars of black smoke rose to the sky.

The chorus of screams brought a delighted chill to Aizen's flesh. He simply smiled with vicious satisfaction as the battle progressed. It was the perfect moment to strike. With the wild card heroes distracted in Hueco Mundo and with the Gotei 13 itself distracted with their meaningless preparations none had anticipated this moment of all times to be the one.

With the shinigami blind-sided, the odds already in Aizen's favour had now fallen further into the palm of his hand.

"This is perfect," he said to no-one in particular, "Soul Society shall crumble this day and I shall build my throne upon the corpses of those pitiful shinigami. Let that foolish Kurosaki child and the Assassin return to find their paradise in flames! This world is already mine; it is simply time to make it official."

Aizen's insane laugher rained down upon the shinigami who adhered to their hasty call to arms and rushed to battle. Whether they were ready or not each man was thrown into the heat of warfare as the ghostly assailants descended upon them.

"Rudobon," Aizen commanded, "Send forth your Exequias. Hunt down every last soul on the battlefield and ensure the peons stay out of the way. I wish to enjoy this final act without the disturbance of measly peasants."

A horned warrior bowed to his master and summoned forth his own army of skeletal minions. The cloned demons charged at the unwitting forces below, evening up the numbers and effectively isolating the higher ranking amongst the squads. It was then that the rest of the arrancar made their move, picking out their targets and moving in for the kill.

With Soul Society in chaos the stage had been set for the last great war in the saga of Soul Society's most notorious traitor, Sosuke Aizen.

* * *

As the alarms screeched across the length of Sereitei the lieutenants meeting was instantly dismissed. With each assistant captain missing in action for the onset of the conflict the squads would be in disarray. Thus the lieutenants rushed out of the hall and into the melee.

Outside crackling flames raced along the courtyard walls to ensnare them. Already an enemy detachment lay in waiting. Six figures clad in white fanned out atop the roof of a nearby barracks. Each scanned the array of disillusioned shinigami and selected their prey.

Within seconds the choral clatter of steel against steel rang out across the heavens as duel after duel ignited into a frenzy of violence.

Renji guarded against the wildly swung sword of a rabid looking warrior, similarly decorated in tribal tattoos and markings. The assailant grinned devilishly and let loose a hungry roar as he forced his foe down on one knee.

With a derisive grunt Renji managed to push him back but was given no time to recover as the voracious predator launched into an immediate counter-attack.

"Who are you?" Renji snarled through gritted teeth as he held the opponent's blade just inches above his throat.

"Redder," the beast replied, "Abirama Redder! One of Lord Barragan's loyal Fraccione!"

Renji forced a grim smile, "Heh! I didn't understand a word you just said but at least I know what name to put down on your tombstone!" With a defiant roar he thrust his katana at Redder, only to have it deflected by a swift parry from the curiously marked arrancar. "So...Why'd you pick me of all people?"

"I like your style!" Redder growled, clenching his teeth whilst hacking down on his red-haired foe. "You remind me of myself!"

"Hmph, I don't know whether to feel honoured or insulted."

"What did you say?!" Redder's sword crashed down upon Renji's shoulder but the blade seemed to slice far too cleanly through him. As the afterimage faded away Redder felt the cold bite of steel against his back and evaded before it could dig too deep. He snarled at his opponent and reaffirmed his grip on his sword.

"I'm sorry to say this buddy, but you made a mistake choosing me as your prey. Because there's no way in Hell an underling like you could ever defeat me. This battle was decided the moment you went after me. You're already dead!" The fiery assistant captain changed his stance and his sword glowed bright red as if burning. "Howl, Zambimaru!"

* * *

Rangiku Matsumoto and Momo Hinamori found themselves faced against two female arrancar; one a shy looking girl who hid behind a veil of long black hair and another who resembled an amazon warrior hefting a large broadsword. Each sized up their enemy and raced off into the heat of the battle.

"Mila-Rose, Let us destroy these vermin and return to Lord Haribel."

The Amazon smirked at that and looked back at her partner, "Fine by me Sun-Sun. Let's crush'em!"

"Hey!" a third woman yelled from aside, "Don't leave me out of the loop you bastards!"

Sun-Sun sighed and rolled her eyes, "Don't fight with us, Apache you fool. Just run along and play and stay out of my way, got it?"

"Grr, you bitch! I swear when we win I'll take your head as well!" The arrancar known as Apache snapped back.

Unbeknownst to the bickering women, their assailants had already pounced. Mila-Rose turned just in time to face the despondent lieutenant of the abandoned third squad; Izuru Kira. Having been betrayed by his former captain Kira had become more distant amongst his fellow shinigami, only confiding in those he trusted most. As it stood, Matsumoto and Momo were amongst his only friends left in the world that had taken so much from him. He could not let them fall, not here, not now! He desired to protect them and ensure that what little remained of his fractured existence could remain stable.

With his shikkai already released, wabisuke raised its unusually angled head and clashed against Mila-Rose's over-sized sword. Already the blade required two hands to manoeuvre, a task which she handled with amazing skill and finesse considering its weight. Without a hint of effort she sliced through the air and blocked each and every strike from the blonde shinigami.

"HA! Your moves are so slow and so predictable! You really think you can beat me?!" The triumphant arrancar howled with laughter if only for a moment before her weapon came crashing down to the ground. "W-What the...?"

"Heavy isn't it?" Kira murmured so softly his words could only just be heard, as if the voice were inside her own head. Mila-Rose's eyes widened in shock as she struggled to lift her sword. "This is my power. Wabisuke doubles the weight of whatever it cuts. If I strike twice then it doubles the weight again. Your over-confidence and your brutish fighting style simply played out to my advantage. Each time you swatted my blade aside you simply damned yourself to eventual defeat."

"Grr, you little...Fine then! I don't need a damn sword to crush a weakling like you! Now that I know your little trick I won't fall for it again!" With a forced laugh she discarded her sword and charged head on at Kira bare-handed.

Meanwhile Sun Sun effortlessly dodged the great balls of fire shot forth from the tip of Hinamori's released zanpakuto. Momo was panting heavily before she had even started fighting, not from exertion but more so from the figure she had so clearly seen standing atop the heavens...

Aizen...

He had returned. Relief and fear fought for control within her mind as she struggled to determine how to interpret Aizen's return to Soul Society. Certainly he had committed some irredeemable wrongs to his former comrades and even to his loyal and ever faithful assistant who even now desperately wanted to trust him. Regardless of his sins Momo fervently desired to simply return to his arms and forget this entire decade long nightmare.

Her doubt showed in her unbalanced stance and distracted attention, not to mention her wandering gaze. Sun Sun snickered behind the sleeve of her tunic as she observed the peculiar behaviour. She had sensed it from the moment she saw the assembled lieutenants...

This one would be fun to break!

"So," she called out from the rooftop, "You were the one who served directly under Lord Aizen. I bet he treated you well?"

"Of course he did!" Momo snapped, "He was always kind to me!"

"Hmm, then why do you stand against him?"

"Because I have to wake him up! I just need to talk to him and I can bring him back! He's just confused, but so am I! So is everyone else! I just need to bring him back on the right path and we can be together again!" The conflicted young shinigami let loose an intimidating little snarl as her sword flared in blinding light.

More focused than before, Momo fought on with renewed vigour, finally managing to force Sun Sun to become alert for incoming attacks. As the blast shot forth in a steady stream the constant rhythmic boom of explosions rocked the courtyard. Debris rained down amidst clouds of smoke, filling Momo's vision and bringing her to panic.

She thrust a hand forward and cried, "Hado 58, Tenran!"

A swirling tornado erupted from her outstretched hand and blew away the dust and debris just in time to reveal Sun-Sun's deviously planned strike. As the vile woman lunged through the haze Momo brought her sword around to collide with the concealed sai jutting out just barely from Sun-Sun's sleeves. The two women became locked in a deadlock for some time, something Sun-Sun took as a tactical advantage. It was ample time to wear her opponent down.

"Lord Aizen is very displeased with your resistance. He even told me that if he could he would recruit you into his ranks and spare your life to be forever by his side!"

Hinamori's scowl disintegrated into a confused frown, "He...He really said so?"

With a venomously feminine giggle Sun Sun continued to dig under the poor girl's skin. "Of course, since so many will have to die for the sake of his plans, Lord Aizen needs a whore to help him repopulate this new world!" Her smile then was dripping with malice.

Momo shuddered and her anger intensified. A blast of searing blue flames erupted from the tip of her sword and sent her foe leaping backwards out of harm's way.

"How dare you! Aizen would never say such a thing!"

"But of course he would dear, after all, he only ever saw you as a pawn. You were once a valuable assistant, but now Lord Aizen has that position filled, so naturally he sees you as nothing more than a concubine now. You've always bowed to him like a dog, this is no different!"

"Shut up! I won't let you talk such slander about my lord Aizen!" Momo was furious. She chanted incantations for spells so fast the words slurred together into an unintelligible string of sound, amounting in an eruption of blazing heat and light.

Sun Sun struggled against the onslaught but remained satisfied in having baited the foolish young girl. Now all she had to do was finish her and the job would be done.

"Aizen..." Hinamori sobbed, her shoulders trembling, her knees weak. Between heaving sighs of exhaustion she cried out her lord's name and slowly glanced up to the sky. She reached out a hand and screamed, screaming out for his attention, but her captain never turned his head, nor shifted his gaze towards her.

"Why...Why are you doing this...To me?"

The question was never answered. Hinamori felt a biting pain in her back and craned her neck to see her forgotten foe standing behind her. One of her long thin blades had dug deep into her back, sending her body into spasms and forcing her to relinquish her own weapon. As Momo collapsed to her knees she could only watch on as the second blade pierced her delicate throat.

As darkness swirled before her eyes and her life drained away, at last she saw her beloved captain Aizen turn to her.

He smiled.


	20. Destruction

**19: ****Destruction**

Mila Rose collapsed in a heap as a fountain of blood spewed forth from her ruptured body. A wide arcing slice across her chest had finished her bout with Kira and in defeat she bitterly cursed his name between clenched teeth.

Kira did not smile for his victory. He simply sighed and studied the others still locked in combat with Aizen's forces. It was then that he saw her fall.

Momo's scream echoed across the battle, drawing Kira's attention and no doubt many others within the court. The pain and longing in her piercing cry was palpable and Kira wished for nothing more than to reach out and comfort her. He rushed forward with his sword raised high, poised to cut down anyone who dared to lay a hand on his precious friend.

Then the arrancar appeared behind her. There was too much distance between them and even as he flash stepped closer he could feel the blades piercing Hinamori's flesh. Spurred on by her strangled yelp he flash stepped over to her side, only to arrive in time to meet the very weapons which had slain his companion.

"Momo!" he cried past his foe to the quivering body sprawled on the ground. She tried to speak, her voice a pitiful squeak through a throat torn open and gushing. As her head rolled to the side Kira stared deep into the blank eyes which had begun to cloud over.

Death had claimed her.

He was too late...

"Grrraaaggghh!" With a great roar Kira threw Sun Sun back and launched a furious counter-strike, hacking madly at her stable defences. The vicious serpentine woman merely grinned as she danced around his wild blows.

Sun Sun had witnessed Kira's powers and knew not to wastefully block his attacks with her sai. She instead gracefully writhed about between the rabid swings of the hooked sword. If it was enough to so easily overpower Mila-Rose then it was certainly a power to be wary of.

She grinned venomously and leapt far out of his reach, landing in a theatrical pose. She giggled softly as the words dripped like venom from her bared fangs, "Strangle him to death, Anaconda."

Kira hesitated as her body emanated a deep pink glow. He patiently waited until the dust had cleared revealing a serpentine devil. Sun Sun's legs were replaced with a winding snake's tail and her eyes took on a more reptilian glare. She smiled behind her sleeve once again as she pushed forward one of the overly long sleeves of her coat. Izuru anticipated her usual sai but was stunned to find something else entirely.

A bone white snake slid out from the sleeve and hissed at him in challenge. Kira snarled back and assumed a defensive stance.

* * *

All over the court the enemy arrancar were releasing their swords, morphing into hideous monsters and demons. The shinigami fought back as best they could but the fearsome powers of Aizen's army was too much to bear.

Apache had taken on the form of a most vicious deer, nullifying Matusmoto's powers by fighting hand to hand. Unable to entrap her foe in the razor sharp ashes without harming herself Matsumoto was left with no other choice but to survive with her zanpakuto sealed.

Renji ran about like a frightened animal, desperately evading the crushing steel feathers shot forth from a hawk-like Abirama Redder's outstretched wings. When at last he found a moment of reprieve he extended his sword and managed to knock the ghoulish bird from the sky.

The lieutenant of squad one, Chojiro Sasakibe fought relentlessly against a mutant lobster by the name of Findor. The two became increasingly wary of the other, knowing full well that their powers could easily spell death for the other. Water and lightning were never forces to be mixed and it was as simple a matter as who struck first to determine the victor. But each man's power had become a double edged sword, equally capable of claiming their own life rather than victory.

Tetsuzaemon Iba held his own against the giant warrior named Poww, however when that giant managed to increase his size tenfold he was crushed underfoot, his battle over. The monstrous creature moved to set its sights upon its next opponent when a large shadow lunged forth from the sidelines.

Although a giant himself in his own right, the Lupine captain of squad seven, Saijin Kommamura was still dwarfed by the mighty beast before him. However their sheer distance in size was soon remedied by the unleashing of his bankai, summoning a towering golem far better suited to combat the leviathan. The two giants collided with an earth-shattering tremor which brought down the walls of the court and cracked the earth open beneath them. The surrounding embattled warriors each fled to safe ground to resume their struggles.

Death had reared its ugly head amongst the shinigami and shaken their broken foundations while the Arrancar continued to move from strength to strength. Even with their casualties Aizen's forces had a clear upper hand in the violence at hand.

Soul Society was in dire need of reinforcements.

* * *

Just as the shadow of death hung over the brave young heroes fighting in the ruins of Las Noches, a new warrior arrived in time to stop the final blow. The warrior stepped into the fray between the wounded heroes and pointed his sword directly at the ghostly figure of Ulquiorra Schiffer.

"Hello there, my name is Kisuke Urahara. I'm sorry to disrupt your little game of tag here, but it's about time my friends went back home."

Ulquiorra seemed to not even register any disturbance at all, his gaze eternally devoid of any semblance of emotion. The cold dead mask remained unperturbed and his pallid white hands remained by his sword, not bothering to reach for his sword.

Urahara bowed his head and gave a derisive chuckle, "Hmm, not much of a reaction. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were toying with me. Your lair has been compromised and your hostages have been freed. I'd say you should be at least a little concerned about that, don't you?"

The demon blinked.

"How so? Lord Aizen clearly stated that there is no inherent threat from these pitiful humans. They are but insects to be crushed underfoot. Where they nest makes no difference."

Urahara's expression faltered then, "You really see no threat in any of us do you? That's remarkable confidence you have in your lord. But I should remind you we've defeated him before and we can do it again. Our strength has increased since then and we've gained many new comrades to take up the fight. Aizen stands no better chance now than he did ten years ago"

It was then that something odd occurred.

Ulquiorra's unreadable mask shifted, the corners of his mouth curling up so very slightly so as to make a mockery of the human smile.

"Confidence is an illusion of mankind. It is your way of avoiding your own inadequacies and failings. Confidence is a lie to one's own self. Yet you continually delude yourselves with your fantasies of supremacy to progress your own worthlessness. The very fact you undermine Lord Aizen in your hour of despair is evidence of your human arrogance. If you feel so confident in your abilities to stop him, then why do you come to rescue these pathetic fools? Why do you not stay and fight me and instead slink away with your tail between your legs? Your facade cannot even fool yourself yet you try so very hard to convince me. Fool. This is why you are no threat to me." The demon closed his eyes and took a silent breath before settling his piercing gaze upon Urahara, "Your fear and doubts pour from your very self."

Urahara cursed and craned his neck to see the crowd behind him. "Everyone, escape through the Garganta and keep moving no matter what happens. I will hold them off!"

"But Urahara-" Rukia pleaded.

"GO!" For once there was true fear in the captain's voice. His usual jovial tone drowned in tension. His grip on his sword tightened until his knuckles turned white.

The small band of warriors hesitantly fled through the ominous black hole and continued on through the endless darkness. Urahara remained right at the garganta's entrance, sizing up both opponents.

Ulquiorra simply turned away from the foe and strolled ever so slowly to Golden Darkness.

"You may leave. I care not to fight you here."

Urahara forced a cocky grin, "That's nice of you. What's the occasion? I didn't know it was my birthday today."

This time Ulquiorra did not smile, "I am forbidden from releasing my powers within the palace. Also...I am sure we will meet again in Soul Society." Despite no visible trace of emotion there was a poisonous delivery that made Urahara's skin crawl. After checking both opponents yet again he vanished within the garganta which closed instantly behind him.

Ulquiorra just stared into empty space.

* * *

The other side of the garganta led straight to Soul Society where fourth squad captain Unohana awaited their arrival. In their stead she struggled to maintain the endless flood of wounded from all over the Sereitei. Already she had felt the reiatsu of many fine warriors drop away into oblivion and many more were diminishing by the second.

Soul Society needed its brave young heroes to once again raise morale and lead the charge. Regardless of his strength, the Kurosaki boy and his friends has served to inspire those who ever fought beside them. They were needed now more than ever to light the fire within the troops wounded hearts.

"Captain Unohana! It's an emergency!" a young blonde girl rushed forth from the bustling crowds of nurses to confront her superior, "My captain! He's sick! He needs medicine!" The girl was Kiyone Kotestsu, the loyal 3rd seat of Ukitake's company. She had learned enough from her older sister Isane, whom served under Unohana herself, to ably care for her captain who had long suffered from illness. It was common to see her wandering around the infirmary in search of supplies, but now was not a good time.

Unohana nodded and rummaged through disorganised piles of medicines and herbs all in use, finally spotting a small vial of fluid which served to reduce Ukitake's often violent symptoms.

Kiyone bowed graciously and ran off to protect her captain. Unable to be distracted by her thoughts Unohana hovered over the crowded beds of moaning and sobbing troops. The injuries they suffered were severe, some truly horrifying. Not all could be cured and those that were beyond hope were tragically moved aside and left to die outside while those that could be healed were given every available bed. It hurt her terribly to mistreat so many people, but in times of war only those most able were to seen to. Those that would die could only blink out of existence and make their peace with the world alone.

"AAAAARRRGGH!"

A loud crashing resonated from within the infirmary and screams billowed out form its source. Unohana took up her sword and rushed to the scene, finding Kiyone sprawled across the floor just beyond a gaping hole in the wall.

Outside one of Aizen's minions lay in wait. A woman with sandy blonde hair and most strikingly, a missing eye. A clean hole through what had once been an eye socket now served as an obscene window to the area behind her.

"We're under attack! Captain Unohana, the enemy has broken into the infirmary!" more cries came from down the hall. She snapped her head about to spot another of the white-clad warriors break through the roof and lunge at the nursing staff. Before she could move from her spot a blur of movement crossed her field of vision and within the blink of an eye a sword crashed down upon the intruder.

Isane Kotetsu, Lieutenant of fourth squad squared off against the black-haired demoness down the hall. That left Unohana to deal with the first intruder who remained standing stock still outside. She carefully drew her sword and studied the gleaming steel edge with hardened eyes. She had not used her sword to spill blood in so many years, yet the time had finally called for her to rise up and fight with the rest. She would prove her strength as one of the oldest captains in the Gotei 13.

* * *

Matsumoto fought with all the strength she could manage, but without the ability to release her sword her power was far too limited. The ravenous Apache practically threw herself into her foe, using her razor-sharp antlers to gore the unfortunate opponent. Matsumoto had survived with only scratched thus far, but the prolonged battle without any reprieve had left her to grow tired and weary.

Apache never relented, howling like a madman as she continually charged again and again. She threw vicious bone-breaking punches, not showing any visible sign of stress even as her fists collided against the flat steel of a katana.

She simply brought forth her endless onslaught and weakened her prey, much like a wild animal. She was picking her moment, just waiting for the chance to make the strike. Matsumoto's dizzy expression and unfocused gaze was a promising sign to the hawk-eyed glare Apache unleashed upon her.

Meanwhile Kira tried to close the distance between himself and Sun Sun. However having learned of his abilities the wily arrancar had resorted to fighting at a safe distance, instead summoning her vast army of serpents to take the brunt of his attacks. His mental state had been frayed by the deaths of his comrades and he was beyond waking from his nightmare. He continued to decline while Sun Sun continued to toy with him.

Both assistant captains soon fell to their enemies. Apache put the worn out Matsumoto into a predictable pattern of attacks only to draw her into focusing on her easy to read movements. While Matsumoto followed in a trance like state she failed to recognise the sudden break in the pattern and guarded against nothing but the harsh breeze leaving her defences wide open. Apache's antlers finally found the soft supple flesh of Matsumoto's side and buried deep within before rocking her head from side to side and decimating Rangiku's innards.

Amidst a fatal rain of crimson she dropped like a stone beside her close friend Momo.

Kira was quick to join her, having lost his fiery will upon witnessing the deaths of his only friends. Sun Sun manoeuvred around him to leave him open whilst Apache rushed into the melee and cut him down from behind.

"Matsumoto! Kira!" Renji roared from afar, having sensed their reiatsu vanish. He reached out a hand to them but grasped at nothing, closing his outstretched fingers into a tight fist as he cursed under his breath, "Dammit! This has gone too far! I won't let anyone else die!"

Redder scoffed at the boastful declaration, "Don't be so quick to play the hero yet pal! You ain't done with me!"

Suddenly Redder was thrown back as Renji's spiritual pressure exploded outwards in a wave of deep red light. His eyes blazed with an anger long buried deep within his heart. As the proud assistant captain glanced up his glare appeared to burn through anything it dared touch.

Redder's eyes narrowed and his jaw dropped. "W-What the...Where did that come from?!"

"Sorry, but I'm done here. I've got no more time to waste on Aizen's dogs! Bankai! Hihio Zambimaru!"

* * *

Kommamura swept his gaze across the mighty skeletal serpent that had become of Renji's zanpakuto. "The others are struggling. I cannot waste any more time on this bloated buffoon." The fox-faced captain's lips curled up, revealing glistening fangs as he snarled, "DIE!"

Swinging his sword in a clear straight slice the towering golem above him mimicked the movement, slamming its own monstrous blade down upon Poww's head. A river of blood gushed forth from the giant as his body was cleaved in two. Kommamura and his golem both roared with tremendous spirit as they carved through the massive beast.

Not far from the massacre Findor and Chojiro had both relinquished to the will to fight and had simultaneously unleashed their full power. Water and electricity met in a violent tempest rendering both combatants incapacitated. Though the fatal shocks ran through the water back to their source to strike Findor, the shock also spread through the entire wave even as it hit the veteran lieutenant. Both men met their end together leaving a smouldering crater between them.

Amidst the chaos friends and foe had fallen, the casualties mounting rapidly across the grand field of war. As the corpses continued to pile up those left alive fervently prayed for help to arrive, but none could be sure if they would arrive in time...

* * *

Well there's a hell of a lot of battles taking place and it seems Soul Society is in serious danger! Can they withstand Aizen's invasion?! While you wait for the answer, please review.


	21. Resistance

**20: ****Resistance**

Sephiria stared out over the high balcony of the captain commander's throne room. From her point standing just beneath the dark clouds she watched the battles rage on. Streets awash with blood. Buildings razed until only rubble remained. Craters and splinters in the earth. Winding trails of smoke and flames.

Soul Society; the safe haven for the lost souls of the dead, the sanctuary for the departed, had truly become a scene from Hell.

With a bitter frown she stared down at the advancing legions of an army of armed hollows, each one identical to the last, a bare white skull with empty soulless eyes. Their ranks had pushed back the disorganised shinigami and trapped them in a corner. Without their leaders to instruct them every strategic position ingrained in their heads had simply evaporated in the face of the enemy.

Now all hope seemed lost.

Fortunately, the captains remained in reserve. The captain commander was having an emergency meeting, organising a means to break up the intimidating forces of hollows and arrancar and oppose their offensive.

Sephiria herself awaited her messengers. Her own plan had been put into effect as soon as the clouds had gathered. Now she simply had to wait for the good news...

And hope it doesn't arrive too late...

* * *

Ikkaku exhaled deeply through lips splattered with blood. His body had been badly beaten and torn but still he stood strong against, quite literally a mammoth. Nirge Parudoc, another of Barragan's personal guard. The brute had shown an impressive feat of strength without unleashing his full power. However now in his beastly elephant-like form his unnatural strength had increased beyond the third-seat's limits. The limits of his shikai at least.

Ikkaku scanned the battlefield. The small detachment he had led on patrol were all dead, the skull-faced executioners cutting them down seemingly without effort. Now they formed a defensive ring around the two superior combatants, trapping them within the confines of their duel.

All around him were enemy faces, not a single comrade in sight.

_Perfect! _

Ikkaku spat a mouthful of crimson spittle against the cracked ground and grinned, "You've got some skill I must say, but your luck has run out!"

"Ha! You talk big but you look like you're having a hard time even standing up! Don't make me laugh!"

Ikkaku's grin contorted into a devilish scowl, "Fine then. I'll finish this before you can even blink. How does that sound?"

"Huh?"

"Bankai!"

Nirge squinted through the blinding red haze, awe-struck by this new-found power. If he had such strength in the first place why did he wait so long to break it out?

Before the answer could be found Nirge's scaly trunk was severed leaving a gushing stump in the middle of his face. A strangle cry rattled out from his fanged maw as he writhed about in agony. His arms flailed wildly until the left one was sliced clean off. Losing his balance he toppled over and stared up at his cursed foe.

The triumphant warrior hefted a set of three impossibly sized blades, two swords, both as long as he was tall with blades as thick as his legs and a third oversized axe blade resting upon his shoulders. Each was linked by chains as thick as a forearm. The unmanageable speed with which he used them was phenomenal and the very fact they could carve so easily through Nirge's armoured hide brought a wave of nausea and trepidation.

Nirge hurled curses and roared in a vain attempt to unsettle his foe, but Ikkaku had enough. In the time it took Nirge to blink, his head had detached from his shoulders and the world was lost to a sea of black.

* * *

Sephiria had never been adept at sensing reiatsu. It was still a rather foreign concept to her. Even so it was not at all difficult to feel the violent surges in spiritual pressure across the battlefield. Some were disproportionately larger than all the rest and their results could be clearly seen.

The giant golem, the great skeletal serpent and the blazing red flames that cut through the dense cloud cover to reach the heavens...All of them, thankfully belonged to shinigami. However the strength of the arrancar was equally formidable. Sephiria could sense several of Aizen's minions lurking in the shadows, simply playing with their opponents. She feared the release of their powers. It seemed the arrancar fighting the most were mere underlings to a much greater threat. Considering the struggle to overcome the low-tiers of Aizen's ranks Sephiria grew anxious.

It was then that Yammamoto emerged from the meeting hall and observed the chaos alongside her.

"The captains have been dispatched, I assume?"

"Indeed, Miss Arks. The captains shall first aid the foot soldiers and let them regroup and gather themselves in defensive positions to face the incoming advance. Then they shall mete out those hidden generals and cut them down before they deal any serious damage. Aizen wants them to clear a path to you and I for which I fear these are his strongest men. The captains shall hold them back for as long as possible until your lot arrives."

"What of the other's trapped out there?"

"They must fend for themselves for now. A strong defensive line is paramount if we are to turn the tides of this battle. Besides, those arrancar currently fighting are mere decoys to distract our attention away from the true enemy."

"But what about the infirmary? They will surely be over-run!"

"It does not matter." the captain commander grunted, "Those that stand shall fight and those that fall shall die. In times of war we cannot leave ourselves open simply to pick the dead back up. If the fourth squad cannot withstand the enemy advances then it shall be a regrettable loss but not so worth risking our chance of victory to save them."

"But..."

"War is not a fairy-tale, Miss Arks. You said that yourself. There are happy endings, but not for everyone. Good people have to die to achieve peace." Yammamoto took a seat upon his throne and groaned, ignoring the confliction in Sephiria's gaze.

She gripped her sword and clenched down until her knuckles cracked. As much as she wished otherwise, she realised he was right. The words with which she had tried to sway Ichigo and Train were true. She could not risk the lives of the few healers at the expense of good fighters. The fourth squad was not known for its fighting ability and in the long run of the war would be more a burden than an advantage on the field.

She quickly wiped away the stray tears rolling down her pale cheeks and watched on as Soul Society burned.

It was then that a messenger arrived, kneeling before her, head bowed. "Miss Arks, we have urgent news!"

Sephiria found a determined albeit frail smile cross her features at the messenger's report. The words Ichigo Kurosaki had used against her back then suddenly welled up in her mind...

_Nobody else has to die! We can save everyone!_

* * *

Within the infirmary, chaos reigned. Unohana had no choice but to allow the Kotetsu sisters to defend the military hospital against the invaders while she herself tried to manage the wounded, among which included Shuhei Hisagi, the assistant captain of squad nine. If he were to be healed he could help fend off the enemy and allow them to breathe easy at least for a little while.

Neither of the sisters had ever shown much prowess in battle. Enough to pass their examinations within the court guards and certainly enough to attain their high ranks but even so they had just about scraped in. Isane's appeal was bolstered by her prowess in kido and her compatibility with the demands of squad four but without that she would be simply one of the dregs near the bottom rung.

Kiyone was pushed further up the ranks through circumstance alone. In all honesty her abilities had granted her fifth seat in squad thirteen but with the death of their lieutenant Kaien Shiba she was bumped up to fourth seat. There was only one warrior in the squad with the power to assume the empty lieutenant position but at the discretion of the Kuchiki family heads it was decided that the chosen warrior would not be given the position. Considering the lack of an assistant commander but knowing full well that both third and fourth seats were not strong enough to be promoted captain Ukitake had instead instated two third seats to accommodate for it. Thus Kiyone became third seat despite her unworthy abilities.

Kiyone had suffered hazing from even officers ranked under her. The other squad members had ridiculed her, laughing and mocking and ever taunting her. She strived to prove she had earned her position but had failed on all counts, eventually becoming nothing more than an errand girl for her captain...the only one who still believed in her, at least that was how she felt.

For that reason she also wanted to show her captain that he had not made a mistake in promoting her, that she was worthy to stand by his side and be his shield. This was a test like no other. She needed this!

With her sword drawn Kiyone stared down her opponent.

"Humph! Preying on the weak and injured. Even for one of Aizen's pets that is low!"

The blonde arrancar rolled her eye and sighed, "Are you blind or just stupid?"

"I don't have to take that from someone missing an eye!"

The girl smiled, "You're a fiery one aren't you? What's your name?"

"Kiyone, what's yours?"

"Menoly," she even bowed as a sign of respect, "You know I'd love to stay and chat but I've got people to see, lives to end...So how about we just get to the fun part huh?"

Rather than wait for an answer she simply charged, drawing a comparably short sword of her own and rushing straight for her opponent. Kiyone waited until she drew in close before taking a hasty step back and slashing out in a wide arc. Her blade just missed contact with the girl's bare midriff but managed only to carve through air. Laughing mockingly, Menoly spun around the arc of the blade and drove a hard kick into Kiyone's side throwing her off balance.

As she stumbled about she had no time to recover as Menoly pressed the attack with a volley of strikes, many of them landing but only dealing shallow wounds. She was toying with her. Kiyone grit her teeth and pushed her assailant off before hacking down upon her. Menoly danced out of harm's way and giggled. Her amusement only infuriated Kiyone more.

"Damn it! Don't play games with me!"

"What? But I thought you were playing a game too? Don't tell me you seriously are this weak?" the words flowed free as a river but stung like acid. Kiyone's face contorted in rage and a furious growl escaped her trembling frame.

"Shut up! I'm not weak!" She raced forwards recklessly only to be hurled back. But she simply stood back up again and resumed her assault. Each time she was struck back she continued to get up and fight. Determined to the last Kiyone rushed to fight regardless of her limited strength. Even as her shihakusho was torn and bloody, her vision blurring ever so slightly, her head spinning, she strode forth with her sword drawn.

Menoly savoured her chance to slowly destroy the fragile young thing, delighting each time she rose up again. "Ha! You really are stupid! You think you still stand a chance? You're a mess! You were weak from the start but in your state no you couldn't even hurt a fly! Give up you stupid brat!"

"Never!" With another wild head-on charge Kiyone let loose a battle-cry that did little to intimidate her foe. Menoly gave a sly smile as she prepared to deal the finishing blow. Drawing the small blade back for a powerful swing she waited for the right moment.

_Wait for it...Wait for it..._

_A little bit closer..._

_Now!_

Something shone before her eyes. Menoly became entranced by the unusual glistening strand hovering so delicately in the air, only to overlook Kiyone's charge.

Having lost her chance she could only guard against the incoming strike, leading to a tense deadlock. Up close she could see thin trails of blood trickling down from the corners of her mouth and the numerous tiny cuts and bruises all over her face. And yet despite her injuries, there was a tremendous fire in her eyes, a fearsome presence hidden within her.

Still, without the power to back it up the glare was meaningless. With a simple head-butt and a knee to the gut Kiyone was thrown a sizeable distance away leaving Menoly to ponder the shining strand from before.

It was then that her sword arm dropped to the ground.

"W-What?! What the hell?!" She panicked.

"Sorry, I don't usually like hurting pretty ladies, but that girl is on my team so I'm gonna have to ask you back off."

"Screw you! Where are you? Show yourself, coward!" Menoly screamed at the unseen intruder.

Jenos emerged from the debris of the infirmary wall and offered his cheesiest grin, "Here I am. Like what you see?"

"Grr, shut up you bastard! How dare you cut off my arm?!"

"Now, now, you know the game don't you? You waltz in on our turf and try to kill everybody and get upset when we fight back? That sounds silly doesn't it? Or maybe you didn't expect to run into anybody strong enough to beat you. Is that why you attacked a hospital? How shameful."

Menoly found herself unable to formulate the word she needed to respond to that. Instead she just roared like a caged animal. Her cry was soon rivalled by that of her former opponent, Kiyone.

"Stay back! Don't help me! This is my fight!" Once again she was on her feet, albeit shaking and looking far worse for wear than before.

Jenos took off his sunglasses and smirked, "I'm sorry, but your cute little face is nicer when it's not covered in blood. I'm sure your captain agrees."

"Captain...Cute?" For a moment she was actually blushing, apparently forgetting the entire battle at hand. Soon enough she regained her inner fire and snapped back, "Leave me be! I must defeat her! I need to be strong! For my captain and for myself!"

With a shake of his head Jenos crossed over to stand before her, moving with a speed akin with the shinigami. "Come now, Ukitake wouldn't wish for you to get yourself hurt. Besides, strength isn't important when you're in love."

That sweet little flustered expression returned as Kiyone's cheeks burned bright red, "When you're in...love?" Her eyes widened as if struck by a revelation, "Wait...Is that why he promoted me? Is that why he keeps me by his side to watch over him? Just because he...He...Likes me?"

"Sure, how else can a girl get a promotion?" Jenos laughed at his own joke before returning his attention to the wounded arrancar, "Besides, I hear old man Ukitake is feeling a bit under the weather right now. I bet he'd love for you to play nurse once again before things get too far out of hand."

Kiyone was speechless.

"Ha, no need to thank me!"

"I didn't thank you." she replied flatly.

"You didn't? Oh...Alright then..." Jenos almost looked rejected then but quickly raised his spirits and prepared to fight, "Well don't worry about your pals here. Chronos is here to help clean up this ugly mess Aizen has created!"

With a conflicted smile Kiyone hovered on her feet, stuck between staying or running. Jenos decided for her.

"Go!"

She ran.

* * *

The other arrancar girl in the infirmary, Loly stood poised to deal a finishing blow to the other Kotetsu sister only to feel suddenly weightless. She fell forward and on the way down mysteriously saw her feet rooted to ground. Blood rained down from where her waist and torso had once connected. Her one eye widened in shock and she tried to scream, though found herself unable to produce anything more than a croaking, pitiful sound as she watched her lower half fall in the opposite direction. She only had enough time to catch a glimpse of her executioner before disappearing into the eternal night of death.

Isane cowered against the wall, trembling with fear, still anticipating her own fate. When the pain never arrived she too glanced up in stunned awe.

"C-Captain Unohana?"

The gentle, motherly figure of the squad four captain remained hunched forward, a sword slick with blood still pointed out wide from the momentum of the single strike needed to fell the much weaker opponent. As she slowly straightened up she offered her calm, gentle smile, though it was soaked in blood.

"It is safe now Isane. Help has arrived." Her reassuring smile sought to soothe the hearts of the panicked staff and patients in the infirmary. However more-so than the captain's words, the two guardians from Chronos served as a further morale boost.

As Menoly met her end both Xiao Li and Jenos returned confident smiles to one another. Their smiles remained even as the next threat reared its head.

* * *

Reinforcements from Chronos have finally arrived and the captains have entered the fray as well! Can the tides of this bloody war be turned or has Aizen still got more tricks up his sleeve? Find out in the next thrilling chapter!

Don't forget to review!


	22. Counter-Attack

**21:** **Counter-Attack**

Soul Society was in turmoil. Aizen's invasion had crippled the mighty Gotei 13 and left countless dead and injured in the face of their relentless attack. The first wave of Aizen's troops had decimated Sereitei's defences and pushed all forces back. While keeping a concentrated attack on the front, Aizen had also sent various detachments to destroy the infirmary.

Within that very infirmary now lay the recovering wounded from Ichigo and Train's rescue mission in Hueco Mundo. The small band of heroes who had broken through to Aizen's palace of Las Noches and slain some of his most prized generals along the way now recuperated in the infirmary under the watchful eye of Captain Retsu Unohana and her subordinate Isane Kotetsu as well as Orihime Inoue. With the three greatest healers in both worlds caring for them, each was certain to survive to fight again.

And they would certainly be needed.

The assistant captains of the 13 squads had done their best to fend off the first wave of Aizen's forces, however many had fallen. Only now had the bloody tides of war turned with Sephiria's reinforcements from Chronos. Her plan had been to bring Orihime to Soul Society so as to utilise her unusual powers and heal the wounded, however Sephiria's fear of an ambush led her to designating the last of her remaining time guardians to all escort Inoue personally.

But the time had come. With Chronos and the Gotei 13 now as a united front, once again morale had risen and even the lowest of foot-soldiers fought on with renewed vigour. The wavering sliver of hope in their hearts now burned ever brighter.

Sephiria issued the command for the counter-attack, leading the charge personally and rushing to the front line. She let out a victorious battle-cry, screaming so loud as to stir all of Soul Society into a frenzy of battle.

Unfortunately, her march was disrupted by the sudden appearance of two arrancar.

Apache and Sun-Sun both shared knowing glances, each recognising the enemy commander. Their eyes flared with burning desire and each drew their weapons.

Sephiria stood stock still, Christ drawn and at the ready. Taking up a rigid yet graceful stance she remained poised to attack, her body straight and perfectly aligned with only her sword arm extended forward. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Hey! What are you doin' meditating on a battlefield?! Are you stupid or what?!"

Having her question unanswered, Apache grew restless, her hopelessly short fuse already going out.

"Grr, dammit bitch! Don't ignore me!"

Apache charged head first; her antlers pointed outwards, eager to run through their opponent. With a mighty war-cry she came within striking distance of the stoic commander of Chronos, however she never made another move.

Without even appearing to have moved, Sephiria had sliced both antlers clean off and severed the grimy black hooves that had become of Apache's feet. As the startled Arrancar tumbled forward with a terrified cry of alarm Sephiria dealt her finishing blow.

Christ lavished in the taste of blood, savouring the sensation of carving through flesh. Apache had not even hit the ground when the blade soared through the beast's skull. A sickening crimson rain painted the glorious figure of Sephiria Arks, staining her pink uniform a much darker shade. With cold eyes she glanced up at her next victim, an unearthly aura enveloping the proud warrior, making her presence all the more intimidating.

Taken aback by the death of her comrade Sun-Sun hesitated in both her attack and her escape, however remaining still only proved her undoing.

Sephiria vanished in the blink of an eye, appearing a spit second later standing right beside her foe. Before she could even comprehend what was happening, Sun-Sun was cut down, her life ending amidst a sea of confusion, regret and shame. Her life ended before she could even register the pain of being sliced in two.

Standing triumphantly over their corpses, Sephiria cleaned her blade and sighed, "I cannot allow any more comrades to be slain. If I must become one with the denizens of Hell itself to do so then I shall become the devil."

_That's right...I won't let anyone else die! I will save everyone, even if it costs me my life! I shall gladly be the shield to protect any who stand by my side! I will bear the burden of my mistakes, not my subordinates!_

After mulling over that a thin smile crossed her stoic expression, "Hmm...I'm becoming more and more like him now..."

* * *

Renji let out a fearsome howl, manipulating the mighty serpent which had extended from his blade. The towering skeletal creature coiled protectively around him while snapping at the irritating flying pest, Abirama Redder. His fate was sealed, it was simply a matter of catching him, but even with wings of steel Redder was incredibly nimble whilst airborne while the great Zambimaru was sluggish.

It was tiresome, but Renji endured knowing full well he could not fall here. There were many others in desperate need of help and it was up to him to save them. His friends, his comrades, his subordinates, all of them...He would not let them fall! That's what Ichigo would say if he were standing beside him.

He always did...

With a confident smile and a determined stare, that moron would simply smirk and boast to the heavens-

"I have to win! I have to protect everyone!"

It appeared to have rubbed off on him too.

Redder grinned at the declaration and slowed to a crawl, hovering in place with his wings spread wide.

_He's going to attack again. This is perfect! Now is my chance!_

In unison each man roared in challenge. The great serpent shot forward with its fanged jaws opened wide, a rumbling, earth-shattering hiss rattling out from its bony form. Redder, remained undeterred, sending forth a volley of steel-feathered missiles straight into the demon snake.

There was a great explosion in the sky. Red flames spat out in all directions, as did the segments of Zambimaru's body.

Renji's eyes widened as the great serpent fell apart, crumbling into a pile of disconnected vertebrae and debris.

"W-What the..."

"So, that's all it takes to destroy a bankai huh? I was actually frightened when you first brought out that thing! But I guess the size is just for show! Ha ha ha ha!" Redder dropped down to earth and strode over to the ruins of Renji's zanpakuto.

"You bastard! How did you-"

"It was easy! That armoured hide might be strong, but your little buddy has so many opening's it's not funny! Your precious pet is only connected by a weak bond of reishi," Redder kicked one of the vertebrae and chuckled, "Since this guy is so huge you have to use up half of your strength just holding the damn thing together. Your bankai is just a scary looking house of cards! Ha ha ha ha!"

Renji bowed his head and stared at his hands. Slowly, his shoulders began tremble.

Then he laughed, at first a slow, dry chuckle, soon evolving into raucous frenzied howling.

Redder scowled, tensing up just slightly at the unnerving and ill-fitting outburst. "The Hell are you cackling about? Don't tell me that ink on your face has seeped into your brain!" a nervous laugh escaped him, more forced than anything.

"Ha...You want in on the joke?" Renji looked up; eyes alight with blazing passion and determination. "You were right about one thing. Hihio Zambimaru is held together by my own spiritual powers. But that doesn't mean it always has to stay attached." a murderous grin spread across his face as Renji continued, "I can separate the segments at will. But that's not all..."

Renji shot a hand out, directed towards Redder and roared, "Higa Zekko!"

Redder was trapped. Standing amidst the wreckage of the dislocated serpent, there was nowhere to run as each segment began to glow with red reishi and began to hover above the ground. With nowhere to run there was no escape from the bombardment as every segment became a blade of reishi.

The resulting explosion blanketed the sky and sent rocks and debris flying across the battlefield. Great clouds of dust and obscured what they could of the raging flames which erupted from the epicentre of the blast.

Renji closed his eyes and waited. He could still sense Redder's presence within the maelstrom of carnage. He had to give some credit to the bastard for surviving that, but it was already too late. Unbeknownst to Redder, it was as they say, out frying pan and into the fire.

What remained of him burst through the dust clouds and into the air. With only one wing left his flight path was wild and uncontrollable and his speed from earlier was all but eradicated, his flight like a drunken pigeon in his state.

However, bloodied and beaten though he was, Redder remained confident to the last.

"Ha! You sure fooled me! But now that I know your tricks you're finished! I'll end this right here, right now!"

Renji rolled his eyes and frowned, "That's my line. Hikotsu Taiho!"

In an instant the great serpent reattached itself, fitting together like an obscene puzzle until it was fully formed. Without a seconds hesitation the beast shot forth like a bullet, ensnaring Redder in its huge jaws. Even as the defiant arrancar held the great jaws open, he was caught unaware by the true attack.

From deep within the beast a deep red glow of energy surged along its length, only to erupt out of its gaping maw in a cataclysmic explosion removing every trace of Redder's existence.

Even his ashes...

* * *

Kiyone raced across the battlefield to find her captain. His illness could not have struck up at a worse time. In the midst of battle he would be in serious danger in his state. He needed medicine. And so she ran as fast as she could on legs she could no longer feel. She couldn't move straight and she stumbled every few steps but she continued on her path through the burning wreckage towards the territory of her 13th squad.

Pain surged through her, but she couldn't relent, couldn't give in...Not until she had performed her duty. Not until she was by her captain's side!

Jenos' words rang through her mind.

_Strength isn't important when you're in love..._

Was he joking? She had never known that man to be serious, just like Ukitake's childhood friend and fellow captain Shunsui Kyouraku. It seemed they had both been hanging out too much as of late.

But what if he was telling the truth?

_Captain Ukitake...Do you really...Really..._

'shunk'

"Urk." Kiyone let out a breathless cough and slumped over. She should have fallen, but something was holding her up. As her head bowed down she noticed the blade embedded in her chest.

_What...When did he..._

Everything became a blur. All she could see was a white coat, dancing in the wind. She instinctively reached out but her hand was hacked from the bone to land by her face. She stared with wide, terrified eyes at her amputated hand and screamed.

Her assailant simply laughed at her pain and misery, licking the blood from the squared blade wrenched from her gut. "You should have watched where you're going. Accidents do happen."

"Ah...Ah...Ah..." Words failed the stunned young shinigami, hopelessly stammering amidst heavy wheezing breaths. Her eyes flitted between the gushing stump on her forearm and the man who attacked her.

"Geez, you only lost a hand and already you're losing your mind. Pitiful! You're not even worth killing...But Lord Barragan gave clear instructions to leave none alive. So die!"

He drew his arm back and thrust his sword right between the clouded eyes of his prey; however the tiger's hunt was interrupted by a blurred shadow barrelling in from the side. Ggio Vega was knocked clear out of the way and in his place stood Naizer Bruckheimer, the fearsome number 5 of Chronos' Time Guardians.

Without looking down, he addressed Kiyone, his voice cold and unflinching, "Hang in there, kid. Help is on the way." Looking back, he studied her from behind his tinted sunglasses and frowned, "You should try and compress the wound and stop the bleeding. That is if you want to live to meet your captain."

Those few words served like an electric shock, waking Kiyone from her nightmare and back to reality. With her one shaking hand she wrapped part of her uniform over the stump of her wrist and compressed tightly, sending stinging tears from her eyes, clenched shut.

"Just hold out for a while. I'll deal with him!"

With a defiant roar, Vega charged at the intruder but Naizer manoeuvred around his attacks and buried an orichalcum tonfa under the ribs. Vega spat crimson spittle through his clenched teeth as he was thrown back from the force of the blow. Recovering after a few unsteady steps he rushed forward again, this time landing his sword against the side of Naizer's tonfa, however the veteran eraser wielded two, giving him ample room to bludgeon the arrancar from the side while guarding against his sword strike.

Vega was flung backwards into a pile of rubble, emerging enveloped in a blazing aura. He roared at the top of his lungs, "Bite off, Tigre Estoque!" and as the veil of red light cleared, the tiger was released from his cage.

Now with two squared off swords, each jutting out from his forearms, Vega stood on equal footing with the dual wielding Naizer. Their movements were untraceable to Kiyone's dizzy, blurred vision and so she concentrated on her wounds. Her missing hand left a profusely bleeding stump and compressing it had done little to stop it.

Kiyone closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.

She had another idea.

Slowly, she chanted an incantation whilst holding her good hand over her decimated wrist. When she finished she whispered through clenched teeth, "Hado number 4, Byakurai!"

The bolt of lightning seared the torn flesh around her wrist, cauterising it instantly. Kiyone bit her lip until it bled and finally let out a choked cry of pain and anguish, her scream echoing across Soul Society.

Naizer glanced over his shoulder to check on her, giving himself up to attack, an opportunity which Vega gladly took. Yet, even with a clear shot, even as his blade sliced down across his chest, Naizer seemed unperturbed. He simply turned back and scowled, dealing out a fierce blow to the face with imperceptible speed.

Vega staggered back, grasping his face, spitting blood and loosened teeth. He struggled to breathe and his left eye was closing up from his swollen face. He cursed under his breath, though it barely sounded human anymore. With a distorted growl he snarled, "Tigre Estoque, El Sable!"

The thin-framed arrancar suddenly bulged outwards, obscene musculature emerging from within until he had almost tripled in size. His arms, now as thick as tree trunks ended in massive curved talons rather than hands and his braided hair now ended in a claw of its own. He howled like a wild animal and charged head-on at his foe.

Naizer chuckled to himself and stood still, awaiting Vega's approach. When he was within striking distance Naizer bolted off like lightning, ducking under the sluggish swing of the deadly pendulum of Vega's right hook and smashing his tonfa deep into the arrancar's exposed mid-section. With the sickening crunch and snap of shattered bones Vega's eyes went blank. Naizer roared as he pushed on further with all his might, the blunt tonfa pushing through skin to sink through the morphed demon's hide. With his whole arm now inside Vega's stomach Naizer let out one last defiant roar and spun on his heels, using his buried tonfa to split Vega in half and erupt from out his side in a shower of gore.

Vega let out a dry, dead squeal as his massive corpse crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Exhausted and panting for breath, Naizer slumped down to one knee and sighed, "That fool...You sacrificed speed and agility for a freaking growth spurt! You failed to read the situation and paid the price for it. Now rot in Hell, demon! And while you're there...Warm the seat for your Lord Aizen!"

Kiyone stared up at him with a quivering frown. Twice now she had been rescued by Chronos. Twice now she had failed to prove her worth in the Gotei 13. And twice now she had been stalled delivering her medicine to Captain Ukitake.

_Worthless...I'm worthless!_

Unable to stand, or even crawl, Kiyone curled up in a ball and cried.

* * *

With the first wave of invading arrancar all but defeated and Chronos' numbers on the scene it seems Aizen's stranglehold on Sereitei is crumbling. However the battle is far from over! Both sides have yet to reveal their secret weapons, but now is the time! Do not miss the next thrilling installment!

And don't forget to review!


	23. Espada

22: **Espada**

Well it sure has been a while hasn't it? Sorry about that, but here's a new chapter for you. Enjoy and review!

* * *

Soul Society had faced its darkest hour, standing against an invasion by Aizen and his army of fearsome arrancar. Many brave warriors had fallen in the face of their terrifying enemy, but with new waves of reinforcements the tides of the bloody war were beginning to turn. The first waves of Aizen's troops had been beaten back and many of his generals were nothing more than corpses to be trampled under the feet of the shinigami's victorious march forwards.

The captain commander watched from the balcony of his barracks at the fires raging down below. The order to advance had already been given and now their defensive line was moving forward to press Aizen's main force back. With enough pressure Aizen may retreat, or so the captain commander thought. Aizen was a cunning fox and he would surely know when his battle is lost. He would never be so foolish as to put his head on a platter for his enemies.

Even under the face of this crushing defeat he remained in Soul Society, only bolstering the great commander's fear of a greater threat within their ranks. As the first wave of arrancar had fallen he had sensed the advance of several new warriors, those whose reiatsu stood on levels far above their previous charges.

The captain commander grit his teeth and summoned another messenger.

"Inform the captains to gather in the centre and meet the enemy's next wave. Be forewarned they shall be stronger than any opponent they have ever faced! Be on guard! Now go!"

The messenger vanished leaving the commander alone once again to contemplate the flow of the battle. With leathery hands he clenched his cane so hard it made his bones ache. The piercing eyes of Soul Society's strongest warrior scanned the red horizon with a frown.

"This battle...Is far from over..."

* * *

Heeding the call to advance, Toshiro Hitsugaya, captain of tenth squad rushed to the front line in time to spot the three lone figures marching forward across the courtyard. He scowled at the intimidating auras emanating from their incoming forms. There was no denying they were very powerful indeed.

"Be careful young dragon," a deep voice came from nearby, "They are on a different level than the others."

Toshiro turned to face Belze and nodded. Behind him, slavering like a thirsty blood-hound was none other than the death-dealing-demon of the eleventh squad, Zaraki Kenpachi. The murderous grin that spread across his face was a reminder of why the Soul Society had never fallen before. None had managed to defeat Kenpachi in his many long years in service. He was one of their most vital assets in the field of war and a most welcome gift in their hour of need.

"Which one is the strongest?" he snarled, "The big guy or the skinny one?"

The 'skinny one' in question raised a weapon the likes of which the captains had never seen. Two great bladed crescent moons created a lethal cross at the end of a long black pole. The weapon stood far taller than its wielder and seemed to even block out the sunlight.

Zaraki licked his lips and drew his serrated sword from its scabbard. "Well that cinches it! He's mine! Interfere and I'll take your heads as well!"

With that firm warning he raced off, colliding with the lanky warrior with a mighty explosion of reishi.

Belze lunged forward to face the largest of the opposing trio, a giant of a man built like a tank. That left Toshiro to face the smaller of the group, a youthful man with short blonde hair and a gleaming sabre in his gloved hand.

As they crossed swords Toshiro introduced himself, "I am Toshiro Hitsugaya, captain of squad ten. What is your name?"

"Tesla." he answered bluntly. "To know any more is not necessary for you shall not live long enough to comprehend it."

Just as Toshiro was about to retort the young man vanished from sight. Before he could even register his disappearance Toshiro felt the bite of steel in his flesh. He cursed and swung his sword in a wide arc, narrowly missing his foe who had appeared to his right. The two leapt back to a safe distance to size up the other, but the interlude did not last long and in a matter of seconds they were once again at each other's throats, fighting with intense energy.

Toshiro was easily the stronger in the duel, but Tesla's speed and cunning amounted just enough to put them on a level playing field. The young dragon was backed into a corner quite quickly and forced to go on a hasty offensive. Tesla dodged most of his attacks with ease, but the occasional landed strike dealt its share of damage.

Both men were visibly tired before long, though each tried to conceal their fatigue as much as possible, even if it was a downhill battle.

"Impressive. As much as I would expect from a captain." the arrancar stated calmly.

Toshiro frowned, "Is that a compliment or are you insulting me?"

This gave the opponent grounds to smile, though the look in his one uncovered eye remained as cold as ice. "Perhaps you only conceive my words as insults because you have acknowledged your inferiority to me?"

"Well I know for sure...That was an insult!"

"Make of it what you will; it shall make no difference to the outcome of our battle. Lord Aizen will prevail."

The name was but venom to Toshiro's ears. He glared at his foe and rushed in, pushed on by the burning rage within. His sword crashed down upon Tesla's and forced him down on one knee. Tesla cursed under the overwhelming pressure of the younger captain's attack. Suddenly his cold calculating eyes had turned wild.

"Don't ever say that name in my presence!" Toshiro snarled, forcing Tesla to the ground. The young warrior escaped at the last second to avoid losing his head but Toshiro followed through and chased his foe all the way to his new vantage point, driving his sword deep into his side.

Tesla fell back, a scarlet shower spitting from his wound. His eye widened in shock and his impassive straight face gave way to a stunned frown.

"Damn! To think I could allow such a weak child to wound me? Nnoitra-sama will not be pleased!"

* * *

The lanky warrior facing Kenpachi glanced over at Tesla and snorted. "That lowly piece of shit! I told him not to go dying on me! Oh well, it's not like I need him anyway! I am the strongest! Aha ha ha ha!"

Kenpachi rose to his feet and grinned devilishly, "Hey don't tell me you're getting bored of me? I was just getting into the feel of it." His body had already been carved to pieces and yet the fiendish captain showed no signs of registering the agony that should have crippled him.

Nnoitra stared at him in disbelief. "Huh? You're not even shakin! I guess I picked the fun one then didn't I? Let's see how much I have to slice you up until you squeal for me!"

"Ha ha ha! That's more like it! Let's see indeed!" Kenpachi charged blindly, hacking away like a lunatic. Nnoitra managed to counter swiftly, even with his ungainly weapon. No normal warrior would be able to handle such an awkward weapon with such ease and yet Nnoitra wielded it as if it were a mere stick.

Truly, these were not mortal men, but the most fearsome of monsters.

* * *

Close by, Belze grappled with the mighty Yammy, the thick-skinned giant. Belze had always stood above most men but even he was dwarfed by the beast he faced. With arms as thick as tree trunks the huge man slammed his fist into the earth. Belze calmly stepped out of reach and dealt a thunderous uppercut to the warrior's stomach. With a jarring crack Belze let out an agonised cry and backed away. His fingers had dislocated and his knuckles shattered under the stone skin of the beast. Staring at his uselessly disfigured hand he let out a curse but in his state of distraction fell prey to Yammy's assault.

This time Yammy's fist landed, sending Belze flying into the wall of the courtyard far behind him. Choking on dust and debris he struggled to pull himself from the wreckage, allowing his foe to barrel into him, sending a torrent of crimson spittle from between his clenched teeth.

Belze fell back into the ruins while Yammy stood tall, chest puffed out with pride.

"Ha ha ha! Is that all you got? A puny little ant like you could never hope to defeat me! I am Yammy, the strongest of lord Aizen's Espada!"

"Espada?" Belze choked.

"Yeah! We Espada are Aizen's ten most prized and powerful generals. Nothing can stop us, not even your worthless captains! Aha ha ha ha ha aha ha ha ha ha- huh?!"

Yammy's bout of arrogant laughter was cut short in the very same instant his left arm had done the same. Severed from the shoulder, his arm crashed down to earth some distance away leaving a raw gaping wound on his shoulder. Staring down at the blood gushing forth, the mighty giant roared in pain.

"Argh! What the Hell did you do?! My arm! Argh!"

From the cloud of dust emerged a wickedly curved blade emblazoned with the Roman numeral 'II'. The carved number filled with the blood of its most recent victim. From the blade was a brilliantly ornamented hilt extending into a length of black steel.

Belze rose from the debris and pointed his halberd at his foe with a stone-faced expression. "You pride yourself on being so large that your thick layers of blubber can repel any attack, but there is nothing on this earth that cannot be cut by my blade, nor is there anything on earth capable of breaking it!"

"Grr, you bastard! Don't get cocky now! That was just a scratch!"

Yammy's other arm fell off.

"Argh!"

"Furthermore, you think you are the strongest and yet you are about to die by my hand. Know this! I am no shinigami, I am a mere human!"

Yammy's eyes narrowed.

"If a human can slay one of Aizen's most powerful men with such ease, then the captains of the Gotei 13 shall have no problem crushing your comrades. This battle is over!"

Poised for the finishing blow, Belze dashed forward only to be blown back by a powerful explosion of reishi. As a cloud of dust rose to the heavens so too did a shadow so immense it drowned out the sun and imposed an eclipse upon all of Sereitei.

* * *

Toshiro stopped dead in his tracks, whirling round to observe the leviathan that swallowed the sky.

"W-What on Earth is that?! Its reiatsu is...Is..."

"That is Yammy, number ten of Aizen's Espada. He is but the weakest of our lord's strongest men!"

"The weakest..." Toshiro frowned, "So I suppose you are one of the Espada as well? Which number are you?"

Tesla chuckled at that and displayed a venomous smile. "I am not an Espada. I am merely a subordinate of number five over there, Nnoitra Jiruga."

"So I guess I have the easier opponent then. That's a relief."

"Oh don't be so sure, young dragon! Remember, all of Lord Aizen's arrancar have a secret weapon! Crush, Veruga!"

* * *

With explosive rises in reiatsu on all sides Kenpachi turned to observe the transformations of the other warriors with a thin smile. "Damn, they're having all the fun. I should finish this up quickly and join the party!"

"Hey!" Nnoitra snapped. "What are you lookin' so disappointed for? If you want to play with the strongest, then you're looking right at him! Yammy over there is a baby compared to me! If you think he's tough then guess again because I could cut that big oaf down in a second!"

"Well that sounds a little more interesting. How about you show me this great power you're so fond of babbling about?"

"Ha ha, fine! It's your funeral!" With a snarl Nnoitra thrust his weapon high into the sky and roared, "Pray, Santa Theresa!"

* * *

Mayuri observed the ressureccion of the three warriors via the monitors in his laboratory. His lips curled back to reveal a wicked grin as he stared wide-eyed at the beast on-screen. Their power was truly incredible and to obtain specimens of such worthy subjects would be a grand find. Eagerly, he clasped his hands together and awaited the bloodshed to come.

"Marvellous! I shall dig through a mountain of corpses if I must, but certainly I shall find a worthy specimen. I hope you leave the bodies intact gentlemen..." The madman howled with laughter but stopped immediately upon the unannounced entrance of his subordinate.

"Is that you Nemu? About time. You are missing the fun!"

She did not answer him.

"Silence again? I let you keep that tongue of yours for a reason! Speak woman!"

Mayuri spun around in his chair just as she stepped up beside him. It took only a moment to notice the odd sun-shaped marking on her forehead, but by then it was already too late. A long thin dagger dug through his chest and emerged from his back, slick with blood. The captain's eyes narrowed in shock as blood seeped between his bone-white teeth. Even in pain, however he continued grinning, a faint smile on his face.

"Is this mutiny? No...This is something far more intriguing!"

Mayuri resumed laughing.


	24. Despair

**23:** **Despair**

All over Soul Society reiatsu were flaring on all sides. The captains were going up against a foe far more powerful than the first wave of Aizen's minions. These new enemies were truly terrifying. Even with the united strength of Chronos and the Gotei 13 it seemed it would not be enough.

"More...We need more..."

"Captain Unohana, the ryoka are still recuperating. Do you think we have enough time?"

The captain broke out of her trance and glanced over at her subordinate with a frown. "At this point, we can only hope..."

A wall collapsed further up the hall as Jenos was thrown through it, rolling into one of the beds with a loud thud. Despite the nasty knock he appeared relatively unharmed; however he was definitely struggling to breathe. Something had hit him very hard...

"Xiao Li, be careful! She's fast!"

There were more crashes and explosions outside. Unohana clenched her fists and cursed. She was so close to the frontline, yet she wasn't able to intervene. Her top priority was to ensure the safety of the ryoka, after all their assistance would be a valuable asset in the war. Every single able warrior they had at their disposal was a vital factor in achieving victory...

_No..._

Unohana thought, sombrely.

_This is no longer about winning or losing...This battle is simply for survival..._

She glanced down at the pained expression on the Kurosaki boy's face and sighed. Certainly, all she had left was hope, however slowly but surely it was sifting through her fingers, like sand. Time was running out, as were their numbers. Aizen's troops were putting up a fierce assault and unless they turned the tides Soul Society was as good as doomed.

* * *

Outside the infirmary Jenos and Xiao Li stood again Cirruci Thunderwich. The loathsome lolita brandished something of an oversized yo-yo, however it was far from a simply toy. With the force of a speeding train, Jenos had been struck right in the ribs. He may have still been standing, but he was sure a few ribs were broken. His breathing was laboured and he was no longer steady on his feet. His companion gave him a quick once over and shook his head.

"Jenos, you are in no position to fight her. Allow me."

Although he wished to refuse, he had to admit that a break sounded pretty tempting. Lowering his head he stepped back inside the shattered infirmary and watched from the sidelines.

The agile young guardian known as Xiao Li deftly leapt out of the path of the rampant steel mace. He studied his foe, sizing her up and searching for a weak point, but he found none. It would take some work to force her to lower her guard, but with two potential opponents the wild warrior was completely on edge. She kept to the high ground, striking recklessly to keep the two combatants' at bay. Thankfully, having wounded Jenos, she had started to calm down. Her attacks were more carefully orchestrated, giving much more room to work with.

Xiao Li grinned behind his floating mantle, Seiren.

Cirruchi swept her arm in a wide backwards arc; drawing her weapon back, then, halfway through its passage she swung her arms around in a circle above her head, as if throwing a lasso. The change in momentum hurled the golden disc into the sky before shooting forward again at lightning speed. Xiao Li waited for the critical moment, just as the disc clashed with his mantle, then leapt over it, abandoning his own weapon. Bare handed the brave young warrior lunged at the stunned arrancar who had only just begun withdrawing her bladed disc.

But it was already too late. Before the heavy mass of steel could reach them, Xiao Li had stepped within a hairs breadth of his foe, offering a sympathetic smile and a sincere apology before striking her with the back of his hand. The force threw her off the rooftop and into the wall of a building in the street behind them. As Cirruchi lay amidst the rubble, dazed, her disc continued on its rampant warpath back towards its master. Unable to comprehend anything above the pain throbbing in her head, she lay helpless as her own weapon smashed through her.

The arrancar was lost under a sea of rubble and clouds of dust.

Triumphant, Xiao Li retrieved his mantle and dusted it off.

"You were felled by your own arrogance. You underestimated us, expecting simple and predictable attacks would be enough to keep us back simply because you held the range advantage. All I had to do was watch your attacks enough times to calculate how long it took your disc to return to you, then it was all a matter of timing. Farewell, demon."

He gave a short bow and strolled calmly back to the infirmary.

It was only when he reached the gaping hole in the front wall that he froze and peered over his shoulder at the shadow emerging from the dust. An inhuman roar shook the earth beneath their feet and with a tremendous clap of thunder an intense gust of wind blew away all the debris revealing a monstrous harpy.

"You!" The beast snarled, a face once feminine now contorted in demonic rage. Her slender arms now bone white, stretched beyond mortal limits to drag across the ground. Fingers splayed ending in razor sharp talons enveloped in a canopy of feathers which shrouded her frail body. Great bladed wings extended from the mass of white, glistening in the light. Her distorted proportions and fiendish expression truly deserved the title of 'demon'.

Xiao Li remained quite calm as he studied the creature standing before him, rage dripping like blood from her bulging veins. The young guardian brandished his mantle and clenched his fists. IT seemed the true battle had only just begun.

* * *

A dead wind blew faint across the battlefield. Between a sea of corpses remained two lone soldiers, neither standing. The first, Captain Jushiro Ukitake of the 13 Court Guards, was on his hands and knees. His lungs had failed him and rather than air passing between his lips each exhale only brought up bubbling torrents of blood. Across the crimson ocean an arrancar sat on a throne crafted of bones. The old man had weathered skin like leather and a thick greying moustache which obscure his mouth, leaving only the cold distaste in his eyes to hint at his emotions. He folded his arms impatiently and watched as the captain retched once again.

"What is this? You dance through a solid wall of enemy soldiers and slice them to ribbons without a care and only now as you reach my throne do you bow in penitence as your body betrays you? If suck a frail creature can lead a squad in the 13Court Guards it is only a sign of your ineptitude. You are all but ants awaiting to be crushed by the foot of your true king!"

Ukitake would have refuted such claims but no words would form, his tongue a dead-weight swimming in a pool of blood. The captain coughed violently, a scarlet splatter painting the stones at his feet.

"If you so sincerely wish to offer me your head, I shall oblige and take it from you." The arrancar rose slowly from his throne and placed his hand against the armrest which splintered and disintegrated into a swirling cloud of bone shards. The shards danced in the air forming an indecipherable shape, only to congeal into a mighty battle-axe.

"Be glad," he roared, "that your head was taken by the greatest...The King of Hueco Mundo, Barragan Louisenbairn! To die by my hand is an honour! Treasure it as you draw your final breaths!"

Ukitake barely even raised his head to look his executioner in the eye. To move at all caused severe pain. With nothing left to do but wait, Ukitake bowed his head and closed his eyes, whispering silent farewells and apologies to all he had failed.

The booming footsteps ceased close-by and a great shadow was cast over him. He could feel the chills emanating from the icy king. Fortunately, with the cold came a numbness that subdued the searing agony rippling through his entire body.

As helpless as an injured fawn, he awaited the crack of the hunter's rifle and the unwelcome slumber of death.

Several soundless seconds passed, time slowing down to a snails crawl. A single breath took years, every blink a day. Everything came rushing to a complete standstill, even the breeze seemed to have frozen mid-gust.

Ukitake waited.

Nothing.

He glanced up into the black-clad back of a fellow shinigami. The warrior only used one hand to hold their sword against the hefty battle-axe of the foe; nonetheless they managed to hold their ground. Sandy blonde hair gathered sparsely on their head growing only a short distance out in a messy bob cut. The shinigami half turned and spat a small vial at the captain's feet. A strained feminine voice grunted, "I'm sorry I'm late sir. Please take it!"

Disbelief quickly sunk in and Ukitake gasped, "K-Kiyone?"

With a groan she pushed off from Barragan's axe and landed before her captain with a brave smile. "Yep! I'm here to rescue you sir!"

Ukitake smiled as much as his failing body allowed before pressing the small vial to his lips, downing the elixir in one gulp. He wiped his lips and coughed and spluttered and for a moment he remained still. Then, ever so slowly he began to rise, reclaiming the joined twin sabres that were his zanpakuto and preparing for battle.

"Kiyone...Thank you."

The young subordinate chuckled softly, her cheeks turning red, "Oh captain, it was nothing! I'm just glad you're feeling better!" Kiyone saluted him with the hand not holding a sword, but at that moment the captain noticed something terribly wrong. The black mass of scar tissue covering a ragged stump at the end of her wrist. He stared in horror and in finally realizing her slip, Kiyone panicked.

At that moment a black shadow swooped down on the frightened girl and flung her off into a distant wall where she crumpled in a heap. Barragan stood in her place and glared at the captain.

"I face a sickly captain and then I am interrupted by his mutilated lap dog? Such insolence! Do not underestimate me!" The king swung his great axe and Ukitake brought both blades parallel to bear the brunt of the attack, then he parried the blade away and thrust twice in quick succession towards both side flanks. The weathered old man dodged them with relative ease and swatted the twin sabres aside as if they were nothing more than flies swarming around his head.

Ukitake pressed the attack, dancing around the swinging pendulum and slicing down on the arrancar's undefended flank. With his free hand Barragan grabbed Ukitake's wrist and wrenched one hand out of reach while stepping just barely out of range of the other. With Ukitake restrained he slammed the axe straight down, only to crush the ground at his feet. The captain had flipped over Barragan's shoulder and sliced along his wrist to force him to release the captured limb.

Ukitake soared through the air, landing in a graceful crouch a short distance behind his foe.

Barragan spun in a frenzy, rage burning through him. "Insolent worm! How dare you raise a sword to your king!" Spittle flung from between the thick moustache, flecking his chin. "You diseased whelp! Know your place and bow before me!"

The ageing arrancar charged forward, bringing his axe down with tremendous force. Even as Ukitake stepped aside the ground beneath him splintered, caving into a large crater. Having lost his balance the captain stumbled and fell right into the opponent's striking range.

Barragan smirked as he wrought his great blade in a long arc. The captain should have been sliced clean in two but Kiyone rushed forth and parried the attack with her sword. Unfortunately, with only one hand to her weapon her strength was limited and so she could only slow down the attack. The sheer momentum of the swing threw her back into her captain and sent them both tumbling.

"Foul insects. Do you not comprehend my strength? Neither one of you stand any hope of defeating one such as me. A king cannot be dethroned by the lowly worms squirming beneath him! Cease your futile struggle and beg for a swift death. I may be tolerable enough to consider it!"

Ukitake scowled, "You are no king! You serve under the rule of a madman! You are but a peon yourself!"

"Silence!" he roared in response. Dark energy surrounded Barragan as he thrust his axe into the ground. The glowing red orb embedded in the blade shone with greater intensity. The shadows around them seemed to melt into Barragan's body as a sickly mist spread around him in an ominous cloud. The shadows pulsed around Barragan's form before devouring him completely.

Ukitake and Kiyone watched on in terror as a bleached white skull emerged from the abyss, its empty sockets staring straight through them. Bony hands stretched out from the billowing shadows which cloaked the now giant figure that had become of Barragan. Truly, he was the image of the reaper, an axe in hand to harvest the souls of its victims. Despite the lack of expression on the skull, Ukitake could feel Barragan's smile.

"Do you see?" he bellowed, "This is my true form! Look upon me and know fear! I am your king! Now bow before me!"

Ukitake cursed under his breath. "I will never bow to a monster! For the good of Soul Society and all that we have sworn to protect...I must stop you!"

Barragan chuckled. "Hollow words. They mean nothing in the face of true power!"

With one swing of his axe a monumental wave of red spirit energy shot forth, devastating the surrounding area and levelling all nearby buildings. Ukitake stared wide eyed at the aftermath of the attack; the unprecedented destruction.

"Come!" Barragan snarled, "You have fought death long since your illness took hold shinigami, however you have never truly faced him until this day. Your time is come, however you can at least stand tall as the reaper claims your worthless life!"

Ukitake charged.

* * *

Toshiro dived past the huge fist which slammed down into the earth. His opponent, Tesla had mutated into a beastly figure of thick musculature and course brown fur. His elongated snout ended in wicked tusks which dripped with the spittle coughed up with every snorted breath. Blood red eyes glowed with rage, tracing the tiny captain's movements.

The young dragon raised his sword and scowled. Tesla's strength had skyrocketed after his release, but more importantly, his speed had not been affected despite his drastic change in size. In fact Toshiro had a hunch that the giant was even faster now.

A creature of that size should not have been able to vanish out of sight.

And yet he just did...

Toshiro rolled aside, narrowly avoiding being gored by Tesla's tusks. Toshiro landed in a crouch and sliced up through the beast's tree-trunk sized leg. Blood spurted as the blade sank through his flesh; however the beast yielded not a sign of pain. It simply swiped its massive hand and knocked the young captain out of the way.

Just as he tried to get up, a chunk of stone crashed down upon him, hurled by the giant. Toshiro coughed up blood and mortar as he crawled free, only to find the beast standing over him. The shadow of its large fist drowned out the light of the sun and soon everything else went dark from the impact of the punch. With the force of a speeding train, Toshiro was crushed into the ground. Momentarily dazed, he struggled to rise as a massive hoof stomped him further into the crater. A furious rain of strikes buried the young dragon into the dirt, leaving a bloodied pulp deep in the soil.

Tesla roared, raising torn knuckles and blood-soaked hands to the heavens.

Another shinigami had fallen, and all over Soul Society Aizen's troops were pushing their opponents further into the corner. The fading light of hope dwindled into a faint spark, a smouldering flame which the troops of the Gotei 13 huddled around, desperate to feel it's warmth. Unfortunately for many, the light of hope was not strong enough leaving many out in the cold.

Riding the crest of a blood-red wave, the Espada pushed onward, the reapers hand poised above Sereitei, eager to harvest more souls.


End file.
